Blood Feather
by Athenafire
Summary: Everything was going smoothly for The Irken Rebellion. That is, until Blade got captured and brought home a smeetish Irken named Mer. Although she can't fight, this little bird turned everything upside down in the winding tale of The Blood Feather.
1. Prolouge

**Blood Feather**

_Prologue_

_Athenafire_

What has become of the great Irken Rebellion? Now it is just another chapter in history. Its final battle against the Empire, great and bloody. Many brothers of this race fell that day. The victor, clear as day since the beginning of this long, brutal struggle.

The battlefield, once clean and innocent, now blood stained ruins. The landscape decimated by a war for freedom. The Rebellion fought valiantly, the Empire took now prisoners. The day, will live in infamy, it will live, forever.

Now, all that stands is a torn battle-flag, the sun rising behind it, disguising the symbol in shadows. Below the flag, lay a final warning. A blood-stained white feather, its pureness stained.

They say, the fates have a way of changing in the strangest of times.

This is our day…

This is our story…


	2. Chapter One

Chapter one

_A Smeet's tale_

Before the war, before the Empire, the control brains, before it all, there was Mana, the source of all life. Mana breathed her life into all creatures whom walked the only planet upon the black blanket of the universe. As time passed, peace filled the lands. But also, feelings evolved. Mana gave each creature the ability to evolve, she did not for-see a great evil called emotion. At first, it seemed a blessing, love, happiness, and joy. But out of these blessings, brooded anger, greed, sadness, and jealousy. Lust for another's belongings tore at each race, thus war broke out.

Mana saw her mistake, and to quell the fighting, she breathed life into sacred beings called, Mana Guardians. But, as with every action, there is always a dark side. The Guardians of Chaos came from their own brood of darkness. An all out war broke out between the two factions, seeing this, the other races fought in step, brother against brother.

Amidst the fighting, a small plea was heard. "_Brothers, sisters!_" the smallest of the Mana Guardians cried out, like a small white bird in the wild blue sky, "_why do we fight? Mana breathed life into us, can we not cherish our own greatest gift from her? Fighting over something smaller than I? What have we come to? Please, hear me now, let my words carry on in the hearts of all whom hear my prayers._" so pleaded Holybird as she flew over the battlefield, like a bird of peace, this feathered dragon soared. Her words calmed the hearts of the quarreling beings.

"_Holybird, smallest of all, but greatest in heart, your words sing true_." so nodded Felroc, the great stag. So the Mana Guardians, great in power, split the planet into many, and scattered the pieces across the blanket of the universe, lighting the sky. A Mana Guardian would watch over each new planet. One a piece.

After each planet had a presiding Guardian, only Holybird remained. Eve, the symbol of great wisdom, the white imperial dragon, spoke, "_Holybird, you have a special task, you are to travel to all the worlds, speaking peace if war was to ever ensue._"

So Holybird bowed to her duty, and sped off into the night. She lived many lives, freeing slaves, battling tyrants, and keeping old peace alive. While each new life she breathed into was different, she always carried her mark. The friends she made, and lost, she began to forget where she had been, and where she was going. Each new life, the same as the last, she longed for more. She once laid eyes upon Irk, and her mission was set in stone.

That moment, a smeet was born, pale in color, she carried a mark on her forehead. The mother worried, knowing that mark from a story she read. Her new smeet was a threat to society. Making the hardest choice a mother could make, she took her child to the tallest, whom presented her to the control brains. They sent the smeet to execution, but, Eve smiled down on the smeet, protecting her life. Knowing then to attempt this execution in vain, the control brains damaged the Smeet's PAK, and sent her into a maximum security prison. Here, the smeet would never see the light of day…ever again.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

_Breakout_

17 years later…

The bell rang at Irk's finest prison, tearing though the darkness of block 14. This signaled breakfast was coming. A small stick rolled under the door. Most convicts sprang for this garbage, like animals they were. Jails like this is where strong men became their lowliest forms. No one ever got out in one piece, this is where the scum of the universe came when the law man got them before gallows hill. No respect was ever shown, not for the convicts, not for the fellow co-workers. To everyone outside, this was hell, on the inside of the formidable walls, it was life.

The green food-stuffs finally rolled under 611911's door. "Here is your filth dirt-bag."

The Irken inside, he only smiled wickedly. "Oh, I'll enjoy my last meal here." Today was his execution.

Hours later, a line-up of defective Irken's ran along a wall. The warden came out, a simple pistol. He spoke roughly, with no ground for care, "You defectives are scum-bags, useless, that is why you are here. Today, you are set free!" He started firing off rounds. One in each head. 611911 started counting down. He grinned. Insane? Maybe, Calculating with a plan? Oh hell yes.

Right then, an explosion in block 14, someone had messed with the wires in the lock panel. The explosion released the convicts in a mass prison run. A riot broke out. 611911 used the confusion to his advantage, his boot heels clicking the metal ground. His destination? Block 9, the insanity block. He reached his destination, "Sit! Where are you?" No answer, "Sik!"

"He's dead" a man said.

"What?" 611911 asked.

"I said 52906 is dead. He had the same plan as you kid, guess his day came a bit early." the man chuckled.

611911 was taken aback. His comrade was purposefully killed a day early, the warden knew of their plan. He had to get out, but without his second man, it was impossible.

"I see you are in a predicament." Another man, with a deep tone called from the next cell. "Take 51680, 51680 can be more use to you rebels than any of us here."

"How about not" 611911 started to walk away.

"How about we give you to the warden?"

"C'mon man, 51680 is great!" another started. The men in block 9 kept hollering, yelling, begging. 611911 finally gave in to their pleas.

"Alright! I'll take the guy" he went down the block to cell 51680. He paused, then punched in the keys to unlock the door.

The door clicked open, with a bang, and a long screech of the doors rusty seems opening for the first time in what seemed to be years. Heels clicked against the metal as the being inside came forth, the light flashed on pale green skin. Ghost blue eyes drained the life out of 611911. Like a dolls eyes they were. The Irken was much taller than 611911, lanky almost. 611911 examined the Irken before him, then, he noticed long, curled antennae's.

"It's a girl?" he asked flabbergasted.

"Yeh, got a problem wit dolls?" there was a hum of agreement amongst the men. 611911 growled, there was a click at the door to the block, the warden was coming for him. The men started to taunt him. 611911 stared at the chick, he growled, "whatever, you better keep up" he started to run, but stopped when 51680 didn't follow. "why are you not coming?"

The first Irken male leaned against the iron bars. "Mer, lets play escape, and this time, don't come back, home runner." The girl nodded, and ran, fast, 611911 blinked his red cats eyes, then ran after the girl, barely able to keep up.

611911 almost lost sight of 51680, she rounded a corner, 611911 almost tripped over her. "shush! You don't want them to catch you! You'll lose the game." she shushed roughly. 611911 saw two guards run past them. How they didn't spot them no one knows. "Lets go!" the girl dragged 611911. He flew behind her.

Guards shot down many convicts, bodies lay everywhere, smoking, moaning for the now sweet taste of death. Some, already wearing its black veil. The bother neither of the two runners. "We're almost there!" the girl cheered quietly as large doors came into view, the final gate to the outside world. She stopped suddenly, 611911's face ran into her butt. Then he fell to the ground.

"Why did you stop?" he stood up sharply.

"We won the game!" the girl giggled.

611911 stared at 51680 in shock, this was a game to her? A simple smeet's game? 51680 always got this far when block 9 decided to have fun with the guards. She always ran back into her cell before the guards caught her outside of it. Then it hit him, "this is part two of the game!" he punched in the codes to open the door, he had escaped from here before. "Now we keep going into a waiting ship, and then-" the door moaned deeply as it slowly opened. 611911 grinned, it turned sour at the sight of the warden and his cronies.

"Game…over sonny, take them away" his voice was taunting, and cold. One of the guards grabbed 51680 by the leafed end of her antennae, a horrible mistake.

51680 screeched as a shockwave of energy leaped out at the hearts of the guards. 611911 was also caught in its power, but, he shook it off and stared at 51680. "What are you?"

He didn't get an answer, the roar of a ships engines muffled any words. A man shouted at the two, "Blade, c'mon man, hurry up!" the ship barely touched down when 51680 fell slightly. 611911, Blade, caught her, then dragged her onto the ship. The hatch closed and it sped from Irk.

"Blade? Who is this fine young miss?" a pervvy voice called. It was a male Irken named Marix, "You didn't tell me you had a lady friend in prison~!"

Marix received a smack upside the head from a female with blue eyes. "Shut up Marix, Blade, who is this?"

51680 waved innocently. "I don't know entirely." Blade shrugged. "her number is 51680..."

Mono, the female Irken, examined the taller female. "Where is Sik?"

"Dead." Blade said gravely. Mono held her hands to her face.

"You left him behind didn't you?"

"No I-"

"Didn't you?" Mono screamed angrily. "You sick bastard, you left him behind for a girl! Some tall chick!"

"Mono I-" Mono wouldn't hear of it, she pushed Blade over, then ran.

"Nice going Blade! Trading an emo freak for a tall drink of water~!"

Blade pushed Marix, "Pervert"

"Ow, hey man-"

A voice called over the loudspeaker. "Blade, come to the medical bay…with your friend…now."

"Ooo~!" Marix taunted, "Bladey-kins is in trouble~!"

"Shut up gasbag!" Blade retorted, he detested the pet name. He grabbed 51680's tattered jumpsuit, tugging her along.

"I'm not a-" Marix burped, "-gasbag!" 51680 waved at Marix. "She wants me." a random boot hit the boy in the face.


	4. Chapter Three

Chapter three

_Mer's first day_

"Reckless, unthinkable, unforgivable, unconceivable! How could you let this happen?" The Irken called Fine chewed Blade. He May have been the same rank as Blade, but that did not stop him from grinding Blades ass. Blade stared off into space, "Are you listening?"

"Not really" Blade grinned, knowing it would piss off Fine.

Fine sighed angrily, "Blade, you got yourself caught, you let Sik perish at the hands of the Empire, and then you bring home…This?" he gestured to 51680, sitting on an examination table. A female Irken, much shorter than 51680 but taller than Blade wrote down notes, most likely on how Fine was reacting, but could be on the female before her. Fine seemed to have a slight thing for Dirt, ever since he saved her from falling that fateful day…years ago…He remembered it well. But now was not the time for memories. Next to Dirt, was Far-Les, an older scientist gone medic from Volt. He was tending to whip burns on 51680's back. Treatment of women was worse than the male prisoners. Fine got very close to Blade, as to not insult her, "One more mistake like this, this, smeet! And I will have your butt in detention so fast your head will spin!"

"Give the kid a break, Fine, he was doing what he thought was best. And from Blades report, there is something…super natural going on…if you will." Far-Les tried to calm Fine, the wise old man had seen many things, but Fine and Blade were something else. They care like brothers, but fight constantly. "You two need to figure out your goals, and decide from your souls where we should go. A divided house cannot fall."

"Far-Les, I know the importance of every new recruit, look at Dirt, she's a mute!" Fine's heart sank, "Uh, no offense Dirt, eh heh…"

Dirt nodded, she wrote more on her notepad.

Fine continued, "Dirt and I already looked up on this, females file."

Dirt brought out a data-pad. She handed it to Fine, a slight smile on her face.

"Thank you, Dirt" Fine noted the smile. Dirt nodded.

"According to this, 51680's real name is…Meerrr" he butchered the name, saying it like mermaid rather than a female horse, mare.

"Let me see that" Far-Les took the file. "Heh! Just as I thought" the old Voltian chuckled, "The name is pronounced Mer, not Meerrr, Fine. She is five foot four inches, has ghost blue eyes, that's uncommon, mental state: unknown…" his voice trailed off. The last bit spread worry amongst the comrades. They stared at Mer, as if she was not Irken, an alien not registered in the database. As if she was the strangest thing they ever say, yet a hint of discomfort filled them to the brim. Mer kicked her legs back and forth childishly, getting much amusement out of it. She never felt this free before, shackles always binding her feet together.

The Irken Rebellion leaders mulled over the details, not knowing what to do with the young girl. Her mental stability was unknown, she seemed uneducated, and very childish. Would she be a good warrior? Or was she too innocent to harm a flea? Could she be a Irken of science? Or could she be of use to Far-Les in the medical field. It was unclear, like a foggy day in fall.

A soft, "psst!" was only heard by Mer, she glanced over to a green clawed hand beckoning the young adult, "C'mere". Not knowing better, Mer slid from the table, her tattered jumpsuit catching the bed, but easily slipping out from the grease and grime. Mer's antennae's bounced as she walked, the unusual curl suggested they would. Dirt noticed Mer slipping away, she adjusted her purple-lens goggles and stood just inside the med-bay.

The beckoning hand was none other than Marix. "Hey there." He was taller than Mer. He wore a standard invaders uniform, reddish-purple stripes, black boots, and a PAK. His antennae's were slicked back, making him look more suave than normal, "I'm Marix." He had one eyebrow raised, his eyes halfway shut, grinning.

"Hello~!" Mer said, almost singing. "I'm Mer~!" She rocked on her heels, the worn shoes exposing her toughened feet.

"Hello, Mer. Fancy meeting a pretty lady like you here, outside the med-bay. Tell me, did it hurt?"

"What?"

"When you fell from heaven of course~!"

Mer blinked, not realizing Marix was using one of the oldest pick-up lines in the history of bad romance. "What?"

Marix blinked at Mer's innocence. His normal approach didn't seem to phase her, he tried a new approach. "Hows about I share my rations with you at dinner, tonight?" He waved his finger in a circle, his hand following.

Dirt tensed up, she knew she could do nothing for Mer, but she didn't want Marix to take advantage of Mer either. Her worry was soon relieved.

"No thanks, Marix. I'm waiting for that, special someone." She interrupted Marix from asking when or how she would know the Mr. right. " I'll know when I find him. It's that, feeling, that special feeling you get in your heart that…just knows when you have found 'the one', when your heart quickens, when your soul burns like a forge, and your brain, urges you on…to take that chance that none else will." She giggled, snapping from her moment of glory.

Marix blinked in shock, he thought Mer's innocence would make her easy, never had he expected this. His mouth gaped open, his heart shattered to bits.

Dirt pulled a "yes" fist pump. She had waited so long, as well as the other women in the rebellion, for someone to put Marix in this kind of position. Lost for words, and unable to make a move.

Mer giggled, "That's a funny face~! I know you will find the right girl someday Marix~! You're a sweet guy." She hugged him, and went back inside the med-bay.

Marix just stood there, gawking in even more shock than before. The one thing that freed him, was a random boot to the face.


	5. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

_A Dirty Past_

A female Irken strolled down the well lit halls of the Irken Rebellion Elites ship. Her green face, buried deep in a notepad. Quickly jotting down notes on everything she saw, hairline cracks, whatever she noticed. Speed writing, so no one else could understand them. She wore a formal lab coat. Off-white, with a high rise collar. Most Irken scientists and engineers wore it buttoned, covering their face, but she had left it open, exposing her purple vest, covering a black turtleneck sweater. Her coat sleeves ended with a formal cuff with pointed ends. She wore simple black pants covering combat boots, also black in color. Over her eyes, she hid them with a purple lensed goggles. The goggles were computerized, helping the younger scientist think even faster, and be more efficient. Her antennae bounced as she walked. Most women had a smooth curl while hers were jagged and strangely defying gravity. She had learned to carry a tazer on her person, mostly to keep perverts like Marix away, they seemed to be affected by electricity. Sik exposed that weakness.

Many other Irkens stood out of her way, knowing better than to challenge the mute. Her called name is Dirt, her real name will never be known. Dirt went to her private office, it was one of a simple layout. A desk, a computer, piles and piles of papers. The room was dimly lit, as she preferred. Dirt sat down at her desk, she heard a clunk from one end of the shelves, followed by the low growling of a rolling can on a hard floor. The orange spray-can rolled across the silent room, Dirt knew the contents well. Memories came flooding back to her. Her old job, killing off defective smeets for the tallest. She remembered that fateful day, a long time ago…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_ "__**Open up!**__" a deep and angry voice hollered from outside Dirt's office, "__**Open this door you meat bag! My son is not a defective! Open up you dirty whore!**__" the man slammed the door again and again. He sounded large, about three times Dirt's size at least._

_ Dirt sprang from her chair, causing a loud crash. Too late to feign absence, the banging became louder and faster as the father became more and more enraged at the scientists disobedience. Dirt knew it was do-or-die time now. She ran over to the shelf, and grabbed three orange cans. The were her own creation, fear gas. She hid in the shadows of her dimly lit office for what seemed an era of waiting…an eternity of fear. Her heart went in sync with each bang._

_ The door finally burst from its hinges, the man had turned from green to red. He was a bodyguard for the tallest themselves. "**Where are you, you stupid bitch?**" he spotted Dirt, who had been lulled into a false security until now. He fired many rounds, one searing her antennae. "How do you like my sons blaster? It is the one he will use after I am done with you!" Why did Irkens take their rage out on her? She had been assigned this job, not even singular emotion Dirt could ever dream of a job like this one. The constant cry of mothers wanting their smeets back, and the occasional father._

_ Dirt cringed at the pain, she sprayed the male with the fear gas, hoping it worked. Much to her delight, the man fell to the ground, fearing everything around him. Screaming, the everlasting screaming of total fear…it was all Dirt ever heard. Dirt ran for her life, she knew she had to get out now…_

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lost in her memories, Dirt had removed her goggles, now they dangled from her long neck. What replaced them, were neon orange eyes, glistening like the sun itself. They were brighter than the can she now held in her clawed hand. "_What's done is done…_" she thought to herself. The Irken held the can over the trash, she paused, thinking. What use would it be to her now? She was never on the front lines, everyone else was too stupid to handle her invention. She removed the can from its fate, setting it on her desk.

A lot had happened in the past few days. Blade and Sik went to prison, again, Blade broke out, again, Sik was pronounced dead, and this new girl comes in. Dirt would of pulled her usual BS with Mer, but, something felt, different. Dirt smiled as she picked up a pile of fabric and a sewing needle. An old fashioned way of making durable clothing, but needed.

There was a light knock on the door a while later, "Dirt? Can I come in?" Dirt knew the voice well. She opened the door. A female Irken, dressed in all purple stepped in. "You needed me to pick this up?" she handed Dirt a cyan bundle. It was pretty heavy. "you don't even wear jeans, no Irken I've ever met does."

Dirt cave the Irken a "so what?" look.

"Alright, you're the boss." she left, setting the bundle on Dirts desk.

Dirt watched her go, she went back to working on the fabric on her lap. She held it up hours later, finished. It was a blue wrap shirt, with loose fitting, bell shaped sleeves, and a kimono-like ribbon pattern on the chest, neck, and waist. Dirt smiled at her handiwork. Normally, she didn't sew, no Irken did. But this was a special gift. Dirt undid the cyan bundle, out fell black combat boots with silver buckles made of lightweight metal and steel in the toe. The wrapping was a pair of blue jeans, also loose at the bottom, Dirt smiled. She folded the shirt, then the jeans, stacking one on top of the other. She grabbed the boots with her left hand, sticking her fingers in the top, with her free hand, she hooked her arm around the clothes. She walked down the hall to the girls bunker, she would leave her surprise there. Inside, on an empty bed, unassigned, she left the clothes. The bed would soon belong to Mer.


	6. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

_Everything is not Fine_

"I say we attack now while their forces are crippled!" Blade slammed his three fingered fist onto the table. It had only been a week or so since he and Mer escaped prison, the Empire was sure to be on their tails.

"No, Blade, we shall not run off into a fight when we are outnumbered. We do not know what they have. Plus, the Empire is surely waiting for us to pull said reckless move." General Fine countered. His silver eyes glaring down on his equally ranked officer.

"So what do you suggest, oh all-knowing-and-wise leader?" Blade retorted.

Fine nodded to Dirt, always there by his side, taking notes. She pulled up a file on the projector in the center of the table. Fine spoke next "I have a special project in the works, it will completely boggle the Empire from their high horse thinking we Rebels have no grasp on what sort of fight we got ourselves into."

The visual was of a white robot. It carried massive amounts of weaponry, flying abilities, excellent combat skills, "Looks like a regular SIR unit" Blade wrinkled the flesh on the middle of his face, "seems like a bad idea if you ask me."

"Well, I still need a few more items to stabilize it…as well as someone innocent enough to keep it from killing us." Fine rubbed his chin, "Dirt, do you think-"

Dirt nodded in full agreement.

"I agree, Mer would be a perfect candidate." Fine smiled at Dirt proudly.

"That dumbass?" Blade shouted, "innocent isn't the word for her problem, she makes Tallest Purple seem smart."

There was a light, sniffling sound, followed by the loud clang and clatter of a falling platter of snacks, breaking on the floor each in turn. Dirt, Fine, Blade, and the war strategist Mono glanced to the door. There stood Mer, her hands held as if she was still holding the platter that once held sweets she had made herself, her face flushed of color, her two long antennae drooping down sadly.

"Nice one, Blade." Mono scolded him, her tone cold and flat of personality. Mer ran out of the room and down the hall, tears flowing from her eyes. Dirt followed her with the permission of General Fine.

"General Blade, insulting your subordinates is not how a general should act. No matter how true it is, ignoring the feelings of others, even the most infantile and forgiving can result in a catastrophe!" Fine scolded Blade.

"Bullshit!, she isn't a threat, she's a leech! I don't even know why I helped her get out of that hellhole!" Mono slapped Blade.

"Enough! This infantile behavior will cease before I return, understand?"

The two nodded, detesting being talked to and scolded like spring smeets.

Fine left them there, and strolled the halls of his new ship, The Blitzkrieg. The Severed claw just wasn't big enough anymore. This newer model had an entire fully loaded docking bay with every kind of Voot on the market. "_K really outdid himself this time._" Around the crab nebula, the Rebellion was safe. The Empire rarely went there since it was void of life and planets to conquer. The General was happy with how far he had gone in such a short time it seemed. He smiled at some troopers playing a card game, one known as Lucky had most of the chips. He really lived up to his name.

Fine retreated to his office. The room was laced with files and unfinished projects. Constantly he worked on these projects, ideas, and governing an entire rebellion fleet. One note on his desk struck out against the paperwork. It was a purple notebook paper with a note from Dirt.

_General Fine,_

_ Marix is at it again, this time with one of my subordinates. Tell him to stop bothering the science division or I will use him as my own personal lab monkey._

_ - Dirt._

_ Lead Scientist of the Irken Rebellion Elite._

Fine shook his head, Marix was a bother, always bothering other female workers, usually in the science division, and trying to get some action in their pants. The General turned on the intercom "Would Sergeant Marix and Marshal Kiim report to my office…Now."

It took them a few minutes, but Marix and an older female scientist wearing all purple lined up in front of their leader. Dirt, as always, stood loyally net to the general, taking notes.

"It has come to my attention," Fine began. He stared out a window into space. The calm, silent blackness, "That Marix has been molesting you with overly flirtatious dialogue to you, is that correct Marshal Kiim?"

"This jackass needs to-" Kiim started.

"That is not what I asked, Kiim"

"Yes sir…" Kiim stared at her polished boots, defeated.

"Marix, is this true?"

"She needs to stop lead-" Fine glared harshly at Marix, the cold ice almost as intense as Dirts death glare behind her cycloptic goggles. "Not my fault." Marix's voice trailed off into mumbles.

"Marix, I need to ask you a favor. You are good at cheering up girls am I right?" Marix nodded "Well, Blade crushed a certain smeetish girls heart early this morning, if you could-"

"BLADE DID WHAT TO SMEETY? I'm on it sir!" Marix dashed off in a puff of smoke, now on a new quest.

"You can't let him go on her like that with no leash!" Kiim shouted.

"There is no need for alarm Marshal. Mer can take care of herself, she's a big girl," Fine smiled, "You are dismissed Kiim" Kiim left silently.

Dirt got up to leave, but Fine sat her down. "Dirt, about that project. As much as I respect your judgment, Smeety seems a bit unstable to handle the AI. She's much to young-"

Dirt blinked at the general. They had a way of speaking that not many could understand.

"You're right, Dirt, I trust your judgment" The two smiled, holding hands.


	7. Chapter Six

Chapter Six

_Curse of the Flying Boots_

Marix, a good soldier, no an excellent warrior, a fighter worth his weight in gold. Many Empire Generals he slew by the shining blades of his plasma swords. His list of kills is great and long, but he is shot down by one simple fact. He is a bigger pervert. Daily he flirts with every female on the Blitzkrieg, No easy task mind you, especially when every time you make a move, a random boot hits you in the head, usually the face.

"Hey beautiful!" Booted

`"What's cookin' good lookin'?" BOOT TO THE HEAD!

No matter how hard the trucker warrior fought, he could never score a hot chick…not even an ugly one without the pain of a combat boot crashing in his face. Weather it was bad luck, or his chosen fate to die alone…a curse maybe?

Marix often took breaks from wooing women, usually someone in the science or health department, to pay attention to the "Perfect Irken in the mirror" while in the men's room. "Hey there good lookin'" he would start off. "Look at you, smoking guns and yet you can't score one babe." He flexed his arms, admiring himself.

"You're a sick bastard Marix." Blade came out of the stall, "you're so vain, and that's why no 'babe' wants you."

"As if! You're just jealous Mr. I'm-gonna-kill-everyone-in-sight."

"Jealous? Of what? Getting hit with combat boots?"

"No…" Marix's face went redder than his one good eye.

"Oh? Then what of?" Blade knew he was getting his goat, he taunted him further.

"You wanna go?" Marix took out two of his plasma swords and got down into a battle-ready stance.

"Gladly, pervert!" Blade did the same with his daggers.

The door to the men's room swung open, breaking the two from fighting, fearing it was someone like General Fine or even worse, Doc. "Um…did they move the combat training into the bathroom?" a females innocent voice called from behind the door. It was Mer, slowly peeking inside as she entered the men's room.

"Mer…" Blade face palmed. "Smeety, what are you doing in here?"

"Well I was going to take a shi-"

"Hey while she's here," Marix interrupted Mer before she went on a string of cusswords, "wanna make-" he was stopped by a combat boot smacking his face.

Blade laughed hysterically while Mer stood there, confused as always. "OH YOU SO ASKED FOR THAT!" Blade taunted between spouts of laughter. "Oh man, ha-ha, I gotta get out of here before I rupture my spooch!" He turned to Mer, "Smeety you might want to leave too, before Mr. I-think-I'm-a-heart-throb wakes up." Blade walked out and down the hall. He passed Dirt on his way, "Nice aim Dirt."

Dirt nodded, adjusting her lens. Marix went on and Dirt gave her classic 'I'm awesome' grin and a thumbs up.


	8. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

_Mono is not a lonely number_

Scientists buzzed in the main lab, General Fine had ordered non-stop work on his project. Many lab techs had not slept in days. They constantly monitored screens, ran for food for the scientists, and aiding in any way possible. This project was now top priority, no matter what Blade said. An old friend of Fine's was tracking them, this project had to get done…NOW!

Mono, a very short Irken, took notes on this, not without grumbling under her breath "Damn you Blade, I'm not your little spy drone." She pressed so hard the pen broke and gouged her data pad. "FUCK!" The blue eyed Irken shouted and ran off to find another new data pad. The scientists didn't seem to even notice her yell or curse.

Mono stormed down the hall, her introverted and disaffected scowl burned a path in the troopers belonging to the rebellion. The door to her private quarters slammed behind her, the hall sighed with relief at the absence of the Lieutenant.

"So…did you find out more about Fines 'secret project'?" White crooked fangs smiled, blood red cat eyes glowed in the darkness.

Mono threw her broken data pad like a Frisbee at the face, it made a crashing sound. She flipped on the light, the data pad had jammed into the wall. Blade sat there on Mono's Bed, that same creepy, devilish grin stretched across his face. Thankfully his pants on this time.

"I ask again"

"The damn data pad broke!" Mono snapped.

"Again…"

"They are working around a tank like bees to their queen. Same as they have been for weeks" Mono interrupted again. "That's all."

The grin drooped into a frown, "Well that is no fun. Bioengineering again I see."

"What do you…?" Mono began.

"Why don't you see if Fine needs any 'help' with his 'project' Mono dear?" Blade grinned as he left Mono's quarters.

"I'm not your drone jackass." Mono whispered under her breath.

"What was that?" Blade called, somewhat taunting her, his back turned.

"Yes, sir" Mono hissed the words with utter distaste. She left after Blade had gone to find General Fine on the Bridge.

"Of course, Mono, I could use your help!" Fine was ecstatic about Mono offering to help. He was almost too happy to be Fine, it was sort of creepy, that grin he gave.

'Perfect' Mono thought, a small grin snuck in.

"You can teach Mer about strategy! She needs to learn all she can if she is going to be the host subject and controller of this project."

Mono paused in disbelief, "what?" she asked flatly as her slight grin turned sour, her antennae twitched in annoyance. "You are kidding me right?"

"No no! I kid you not! She can't have the mind of a smeet forever, she needs to learn these things at some point. And now that you volunteered that just makes my job all that much easier. Plus you are the Rebellions TOP strategist!"

Mono growled in anger. She was introverted about most of the Irkens on this rust bucket ship, but Mer? She was a different story all together. The way she was always happy, always chipper…and just so, so stupid. It irked over half of the crew.

"Just think of it as a punishment for spying, and badly might I add." Fine waved his finger in the air. "You stuck out too far to the left, watch that blind eye of yours and you might make a great spy." He smiled and tapped his finger on her face in a sort of 'I'm-superior-to-you-in-more-ways-than-one' kind of way.

Mono growled lowly as she left, "This is why I ALWAYS work alone."

"She's in the mess!" Fine shouted after her.

Mono snorted when she found Mer. She was rapidly opening and closing the door to the refrigerator.

"Hey! It lit up!" She turned to look at Mono, grinning as always, "Miss Mono does the light go out when you close the door? Or does it stay on?" Mer turned around and continued opening and closing the door. "Hello light!" she would greet the light.

"Mer…" Mono face palmed, "it goes out if you close the door, it is how the fridge works."

"Really?" Mer looked at Mono, "…Okay…"

"General Fine ordered me to teach you strategy," Mono hated what she was doing, "Now let's go." Mono motioned with her hand. When Mer didn't come, she pulled on Mer's new blue shirt. "C'mon Smeety."

"Okay!" Mer hummed a little following Mono.

Mono slammed her fists on the desk, "No, no no! Can't you do anything right?"

"Why are we calling these game pieces troopers? You can't attack anyone with these…unless you throw them at someone else, that would hurt…but hurting others is bad and" Mer blinked childishly, stopping as Mono growled at her.

Mono finally snapped, "Why are you so stupid? I can't believe an Irken like you could even exist. Do you even remember your own name? Now I see why they threw you in prison, you are too stupid to even work as a drone! I'm surprised they didn't take you out of the gene pool yet. Why didn't they just kill you? You'll never learn anything at this rate you retarded, spineless LEECH!"

Mer's eyes watered at the insults.

"Get out of my office!" Mono snapped at her, forgetting her promise to stay introverted and emotionless.

Mer whimpered like a hurt puppy and ran for it, tears coming down like rain. She ran faster than she ever ran before, almost no one could tell what the flash of blue was as she ran past the troopers. She vanished in the darkness of the armory, and hid in a small gap she found between the metal walls. There she let the tears fall, she knew she couldn't fight, why she did not. All she knew is that she was trying her best, but it still was not enough.

"Wimp," Mono snorted. It suddenly dawned on her, Mer would run around the ship, crying her eyes out. Then Dirt would find her, get pissed, find out Mono did this, then General Fine would be pissed at Mono since Dirt is his right hand girl, and Mer is close to Dirt (how they got so close so fast was a mystery to everyone). "Meh, what do I care?" Mono made a groaning sound, "Gah! Damn it Smeety where are you?" She ran after the taller Irken.

Mono checked all the closets, all the rooms, the mess, the holo-chamber, the dojo, again the mess. She finally rested in the armory. She leaned her head against the wall. "Damn I hate being half blind." She cursed under her breath.

The wall giggled and moved a little.

"The hell?" Mono turned, there was a slight bulge where she rested her head, Mono poked it lightly, it giggled again, "Walls…don't giggle…Mer? How the hell did you get in the wall?" Mono felt the wall, looking for a way of entry. It was seamless. She searched under the bench only to find a small opening. She reached inside and felt around, it was dusty, and gross inside. But then she felt the rough bottom of a combat boot and pulled. As luck would have it, Mer came out, without a fight, and unscathed. "Mer you…" Mono sighed, "Look Mer, I'm…"

"Educated? Bloodthirsty? Hungry for war?"

Mono blinked at her, was this what the common Irken thought of the rebellion?

Mer continued without pause, "Just because we are at war does not mean we cannot lay down our guns like in the battle of Roma."

"Mer I don't think we can…" Mono started.

Mer continued again, ignoring Mono, "And that when the titans overtook the mountain of the gods, the gods laid down their weapons and tools of war, and prayed to Mana almighty for a hero! And a hero was sent to them in their time of need! We stood strong, praying for that hero. The titans had Nector by his throat when Tontimus came to his aide."

"Mer…" Mono was astonished, "That war was over…two-hundred thousand years ago…and yet you seem to have a first-hand account as if you were right there in the fight!" Mono gasped in excitement, "Maybe there is hope!" Mono shouted, again forgetting to be introverted and emotionless, her passion for old wars taking over.

Mer gave a first-hand account from countless wars across the ages, she had a story from what seemed every known star across the universe, this baffled Mono.

"Now I have a question for you," Mer asked permission, acting serious for once in her life, "Why do they call you Mono?"

Mono thought about it for a moment and sighed, "Because I'm alone, monotone in the mind, all others are not my problem." She was slightly embarrassed about her previous actions.

There was a long silence between the two. The sharp blades, shining pistols, rocket launchers and any other type of weapon you could think of neatly organized around the room seemed to listen in on their conversation. "Mono," Mer finally broke the silence, "I respect the power of one, but even Achilles fell to the arrow of fate."

Mono blinked, then smiled, "yeah, yeah Smeety, I'm part of a team."


	9. Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

_Lost in Desert Storm part one_

The loading dock to the Irken Rebellion's elite ship, The Blitzkrieg, squealed and whined as the rusting locking systems eased their grip on the loading ram. It crashed into the fine grained sands of the planet Quartitocal. The sands plumed up, then revealed two Irken silhouettes. The two soldiers stepped into the hot, almost unbearable sunlight. One wore a traditional invaders uniform, the other a tight black leather custom uniform. Both had blood red eyes, though the taller of the two, who wore the traditional clothes, had one blue eye, the blind eye.

The one wearing black stepped onto the hot sands, shielding his eyes from the unforgiving sun, "why am I stuck on a pointless mission to get a stupid rock for a project I don't even agree with? The empire dropped this dust-ball years ago, nothing else lives here after they bled it dry." He snarled.

"And there is no waffle stands either…" the other complained, rubbing his spooch as it cried out for attention.

"Quiet you! Why that bastard Fine sent waffle-head with me is most unsound, I think it's time for a new leader." The one in black hissed, growling slightly in annoyance. He was in the middle of messing with the lab techs when General Fine sent him with Marix.

"Aw, c'mon Blade, you know my name is Marix, the techs seem to know it." Marix teased, flexing his muscles trying to show off to invisible fangirls. The ship floated away as the two spoke, "we just need to find this Inhibitor ore and we can go back." Blade rolled his eyes and started off into the blowing winds of the merciless desert.

Hours passed, no sign of the ore had shown itself to the officers. Marix whined constantly, heat, hunger, thirst, being tired, anything. He threw himself from side to side the way a child would or some drunken man, "I'm hungry, it's too hot…"

"Shut up!" Blade snapped when he finally had enough of the abuse, "we are stuck here until we find this hell-damned hard to find ore so quit whining or the Rebellion will have one less mouth to feed." Blade drew out his dagger and glared at Marix, growling like some tortured animal.

Marix blinked, "…did you hear that?"

"That was me getting sick of you!"

"No, not that! Shush!" The two listened to the sound of hustling feet, dashing around on the sands with a light footfall, a master hunter's step. It dashed from behind a stone to another, quickly as to not be seen, but something tall was there. The soldiers drew their weapons, ready for one hell of a fight as the steps came closer and closer, it was almost on top of them now. It stalked masterfully, how waffle-head Marix even heard it over Blade was a mystery.

"This one is mine," Blade grinned with of hint of psychotic pleasure.

"No way!" Marix challenged his superior.

As the two bickered with whispers, the creature stalking them came within striking range. Mere inches away, it struck out, "Hai Blade!" it shouted gleefully, jumping right behind Blade, giving Marix a near death heart attack…almost.

As Marix fell over, Blade just raised an eye-ridge at Marix, and then turned to the hunter in her loose fitting blue outfit and combat boots. She had pale green skin, giant ghost blue eyes, and a mid-toned blue shirt with lighter blue ribbon highlights that almost seemed kimono-like. "Great, now I have to idiots to baby-sit." Blade walked on, totally ignoring Mer and Marix.

It was almost a comical scene from a cartoon. Marix shot up, steam rolling from his head, his antennae twitching in fury, "Smeety isn't stupid!" he snapped.

"You're right," Blade turned and smiled maliciously, "she has a busted PAK, can't fight worth shit, can't do basic math, can't wield a sword, can't fire a smeet's pistol, spent her entire life in a ward for the mentally insane where there was no schooling…she has enough brainpower to live with the aid of others baby-sitting her constantly and that's it." Blade blinked at the spot where Mer stood, "Aw shit now where did she run off to?"

Marix paused, "How do you even breathe in that outfit?" He asked.

"Go find her asshole!" Blade barked at Marix.

Marix rolled his compound eyes and ran off to the West, Blade to the East.

Miles away, Mer had found a pile of rocks in the middle of a desert flower field in a basin. It was cooler here from the shade. Her loose fitting clothes already keeping her cool in the heat of the purple sun. She waved her arms as she spun in total bliss. Most of the rebellion thought her childish behavior was an issue. When really, a pure mind, a cup not filled with hate and corruption of war was more of an asset than a disability in times like this. If only one could see that her peaceful mind kept balance, not a care in the world of the dangers all around her. Happiness really was the key to peace.

That is what Mer thought at least. But not all on-lookers watched her with the same care-free feelings. Mer smelled a white flower with soft petals. Its smooth skin overlooked its thorny stem. She spied a glowing stone buried in the pile of rocks. Running up to it, she observed the feeling around it. The cool smooth surface, she picked it up. "What's this?" she shrugged and stuffed it in her belt.

A gun clicked next to Mer's head. She blinked, staring down the smooth barrel. She glanced past it to see a male Irken at the other end, "Hai there!"

"On your knees Empire scum! I know a bounty hunter when I see one!"


	10. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

_Lost in Desert Storm part two_

"I said on your knees!" holding the pistol was an odd looking Irken. He had chiseled features, as if his stone grey skin was just that, stone. He bore black tattoos all over his body, covered by form-fitting garments all in different shades of black, grey and white, like a second skin. Like Marix, his eyes were two-toned. The left eye being white, the other black like night. What caught Mer's attention was the billowing black cape behind him, flowing like a super hero's from some comic.

She watched it intently, the way it flowed as the wind passed under and around it. She tilted her head, the way she did when she thought hard.

"Don't try and fool me! I'll gun you down before you can even flinch!" he growled, shaking the gun the way only scared people do. Mer noticed he was scared, he didn't want to shoot a girl, and was obviously conflicted between his life and his moral standards. She also noticed a small volt of dark energy fly from his antennae.

"What's that thing?" Mer asked, pointing to the cape, "and what is a bounty hunter?"

The grey Irken only wavered from his tough-guy stance momentarily, shaken by her innocent questions. He then returned remembering where he was, "Are you stupid?"

"No…General Blade calls me that…everyone else calls me Mer, so I go with that!" she paused, "though, more seem to know me as 51680." She smiled.

The Irken backed off a little, shocked at what he just heard lift from the girls lips, "that's…block nine code…" he thrust the gun back at her, "I'm not going back in there!" he began to fire when Marix jumped him, disabling the Irken and grabbing Mer defensively.

"You think you can just shoot a beautiful woman like that? Well you got another…" Marix paused, dropping his swords, "No way…Sik?"

The Irken Marix called Sik stared at Marix with the same shocked expression, "Aw...shit…Marix damnit why the hell did you...never mind, help me kill this bounty hunter." He raised his pistol again.

Marix laughed at Sik, "really Sik? Smeety's too cute to be a bounty hunter! Right Smeety?"

Mer hugged Marix, "you found me~!" she cheered as if she was just playing a game of hide-and-go-seek.

"Uh…yeah…I'll want repayment for saving you later Smeety!" he grinned. Sik smacked Marix with his boot.

"Still the same old waffle-head." Sik shook his head, slipping his boot back on. "So…what is her name? Mer?" Mer nodded, "Right, how did you guys find me?"

"How are you still alive? We came here with Blade searching for some rock he needs for something or another…And Mer followed us from the ship I guess."

"Falling out of windows is fun! There were not many windows back home, and the few that existed were blocked by thick metal bars. I never dreamed of such joy!" Mer giggled with a goofy grin on her face, her trademark expression. Her antennae bounced up and down happily, Sik just face palmed.

"Right then, so the three of you are here on Fine's errands again? To find some stupid rock?"

Mer shook her head, "Inhibitor ore has many uses. Mostly used as a stabilizing compound when performing surgeries, enhancing tools to balance elements, as mounts, and even for cloning purposes." She smiled.

Marix had a stupefied look, "Cloning? And Mer? You never sounded so…not stupid."

"That's a good look for you waffle-head" Sik sniggered.

"Shut-it freak show!" Marix growled.

As the two fought, Mer watched men ride up on hover bikes. They swarmed the three, "Hai there pirate men!" Mer waved spastically.

Marix and Sik snapped to attention at the sound of Mer saying 'pirate'. They readied themselves for a fight. The men laughed at their startled faces.

"We are not pirates!" one chuckled. "We are traveling brothers! Here to welcome you to Quartitocal!" another one took a bow. Their leader, dressed in medals from several wars, and carrying on his shoulder some sort of dinosaur-like bird came forth, "aye and we'd be mighty honored if you and your friends joined us for a celebration feast for our heroes!"

"We are….heroes?" Mer asked happily singing the words. A live wire of energy connected between her two antennae, sparking with a white energy and a bluish tint. Only Sik noticed it as another bolt of dark energy flew from his antennae. Mer had almost the same type of energy, yet hers seemed…stable, opposite of his. Her PAK was smashed to bits, sometimes a sparkplug or other part fell from it. Her PAK was well beyond repair at this point. He needed his PAK to keep him stable.

"Why, not yet lass, but soon you will be! You will save my brothers from certain death!" The captain stared at Marix, "and we have air conditioning and food, namely waffles. Ed over there loves them." The captain pointed to a rough looking guy wearing a red bandana.

"Sounds good to me!" Marix almost hugged the captain. Sik was not so sure, but didn't want to live another second on this wasteland planet.

The 'gentlemen' helped the three onto their bikes and rode off towards their compound. Blade watched them go, he sighed and radioed the ship. "General Fine, we have a series of issues…the main one starts with Mer and ends with Pirates."


	11. Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

_Lost in Desert Storm part three_

Sik slowly blinked his two toned eyes open. He sheltered them from the blinding lights above, ringing their annoying single-toned song of imprisonment and torture. Below him, a bed of cold hard, what was this? A metal floor? Where was he? He only remembered living in an old abandoned caravan, deserted years ago when the Empire took over and bled the planet dry. Then some chick in blue showed up…he remembered it all slowly. Now a silhouette hung over him, "Are you awake?" it asked before poking his cheek over and over. "This is so much fun! Isn't it Sik?" It giggled. Who was this? Was he finally dead and in heaven? Siks eyes adjusted to the light and saw Mer staring down on him. It all came flashing back now, the pirates were drinking heavily, Marix joined them. Mer listened to the bards singing and danced with them. He then remembered the pirates over-powering him and drugging him into sleep.

Sik scrambled to a sitting position, soon realizing his hands were bound in cuffs and smacked Mer in the forehead with his own. Both yelped loudly waking the third member of the gang from his heavy hangover.

"WOAH WOAH WHERE IS THE FIRE? …Where are we?" Marix asked coming out of a panic.

"I don't know," said Mer, "it reminds me of home!" She smiled, her antennae bouncing up and down happily. The group was trapped in a cell, all handcuffed with energy ropes tying the three together in a long chain. Mer, however, was missing hers.

At first, Sik thought she went willingly, or the pirates thought she was too stupid to even bother. Then he spotted hers on the floor, still bound to him and Marix. No alarms had gone off, how were they not attached? "Whatever your name is,"

"My name is 51680!"

"Stop it Mer! You're not in prison anymore you have a real name!" Marix grabbed her wrists and stared in her eyes. Sik smacked him hard, "OW! Jerk…"

"Stop trying to get some with under-aged girls pervert," Sik glared, "Mer, how did you get your cuffs off?"

"What are cuffs?" Mer blinked with a derp face.

Sik face-palmed, "those things!" he pointed to the cuffs on the floor, hissing his words, "How did you get them off?" Mer shrugged.

The two men stared at her, one confused, the other checking her out. Marix slipped over next to Mer, "so…while we're here..." he paused, "wanna make out?" Marix grinned at Mer. Sik smacked him again.

"Idiot…" Sik glared.

Mer giggled at the two fighting. She did not understand why, they were brothers in arms. She got a face like she had been smacked upside the head, "BROTHERS, please! Stop this most unnecessary violence at once!" She got between them just as Marix got out his plasma swords, "you two are comrades, teammates, brothers in arms against the tyranny of the tallest and the control brains! How can you possibly defeat them, how can we have any hope, any chance of defeating, nay, get even past the guards if all we can do is slaughter our own because of a senseless need to always feel important and better than the rest? How can we even have a small glimmer of hope to get out of here, when all you do is fight each other? Be wise my brothers, and find your common enemy, and be at peace with each other before you destroy you allies, and ultimately, yourselves." Mer held her hands together in prayer, pleading not only to Sik and Marix, but what seemed to be a universal audience.

"You give speeches like you're…" Sik finally figured out what Mer's tattoo was, and shrunk his words away.

"You're right Mer!" Marix cheered, "We need to get out of here first! I can't be stuck here forever!"

"I'm afraid you won't be here forever my friend." The captain stepped into the cell, "the little girl just made your value to the Empire spike tenfold! If I turn you in, I would have enough credits to keep my crew well fed forever! A nice price for a freak, a pervert and a little birdie who can't shut her beak." He laughed.

"No!" the boys shouted. Marix unsheathed his plasma swords, Sik grew a dark aura around him, the air crackled as he did so.

An entire platoon of pirates swarmed the three. Mer went into a panic, her antennae slowly forming two livewires of energy flowing between them like lightning rods. Three, four, the fierce fighting escalated, heads rolled blood flowed onto the floor in pools. The air was stiff, riddled with battle cries and screams of the suffering and dying men.

The captain showed his face to Mer, untouched by blades, "well lassie, I'm sure a bleeding bounty is still a bounty." He drew his two edged sword, pointing the tip at Mer.

Mer's eyes widened, six, seven, more and more livewires criss-crossed until they finally climbed up and reached her head, "I want to go HOME!" With the sound of Mer's cry, Mana bestowed upon her enough strength to escape certain doom at the hands of the tallest. Livewires of raw energy lit up between her two antennae, lighting the entire room till no shadows could survive. With the end of 'go' and the start of 'home', the built up energy released in one huge pulse, tearing up the metal floors, and knocking down the walls of oppression. The pulse pushed back the pirates, stunning them, but not killing. This knocked them from their high-horses into the realization, that the rebellion…is no joke.

After the energy dispersed, Mer fell from the loss of energy. Marix, who recovered first after being shocked several times a day before he learned that Dirt always carries a tazer on her person, caught Mer before she hit the ground and held her up. "What the hell was that?" he shouted, then paused for an answer, but none came, "Smeety? …Aw shit!" It wasn't over yet, more pirates swarmed in, swords drawn ready for a fight. "Double shit, we're in a tight spot…" Marix glanced down at Sik who appeared to be having some sort of seizure, 'man Blade, where are ya when I needya?' Marix thought to himself, begging to some higher power.

That cry for help was heard, as fate would have it, Blade jumped down from an upper level, daggers drawn. The Blitzkrieg hovering in the fading light above.

Blades daggers pierced the armor and flesh of the new platoon, then the captain, he hissed these words before his victim fell, "Give Red my regards, he will soon follow your fate in the clutches of the Rebellions talons of freedom!" he smiled with his trademark crazy psycho killer grin.

The captain stared in fear, he tried to speak, but his final words were drowned in his own blood as it bubbled out of his mouth, the dark veil of death filled his eyes, now void of life. Like a dolls eyes they were, his face flushed of all color, his tongue rolled out, it swelled, also at a loss of color, painted only in his blood. He fell off the dagger, and onto the cold metal floor, dusted with the sand of the outside world.

Blade removed his dagger and faced Marix. He was still holding Mer, completely unconscious. Blade smacked Marix upside the head, "idiot, can't even keep a hold of the girls you do get some alone time with. Hey Sik...Sik?" Blade swung around, blinking in disbelief at his 'partner'. He ran up to Sik and helped the Irken out of his seizure then too his feet, "I thought they killed you off!"

"Not yet Blade sir, I got out just in time," Sik gave a thumbs up, "…so that's how she got out," Sik had been pondering, "I knew I recognized 'Smeety' here."

"Yeah you left me there and the inmates forced me to drag that thing out." Blade pointed to Mer with a twitch of his pupils.

"I know I would be better off with Mer over Sik!" Marix had a perverted grin, soon replaced by a combat boot.

Fine and Dirt stepped off the lowering ramp of The Blitzkrieg onto the dusty metal floor. Fine glanced around. He recognized the handwork of his equal, Blade. Marix he knew best and Sik's was easy to understand. The burn marks were a mystery, they looked as if lightning struck down, but there were no clouds to blame. He guided his gaze down the cracks in the ground, over to where Marix was helping Mer to her feet, "Get Mer and Sik into med-bay now!" he gave his orders calmly, beckoning Dirt to his side once the group was inside. "Dirt, scan these marks. Something about them…isn't natural."

Dirt did as she was told, her lens taking pictures then laying them out like a map. There was an obvious pattern, not only in circles, but where pirates stood were now some sort of written language, unknown to Irken records.

"Dirt…I think we just sparked the heat of a whole new kind of war." Fine sounded grave.


	12. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

_Lost in Desert Storm part four_

"The Blitzkrieg has safely left orbit, sir!" shouted a bridge tech.

"Good, keep it stead and bring us home." General Fine praised the tech then left for med-bay. He had one hell of a mess on his hands. Sik had spent weeks on a desert planet with little food and water, barely any shelter and those are just the basic needs to support life. Marix was covered in slap, cut and burn marks from him …just being Marix, let us leave it at that. And Mer? She was barely hanging onto life.

Fine barged into the med-bay. Dirt often assisted as a tech and was currently debriefing Sik while a tech checked his vitals. A long single-toned beep was heard from Mer's heart monitor. An older Irken, sporting a five 'o-clock shadow, ran over and slapped Mer's chest hard. Her heart started up again just like that.

"Doc!" Fine called, "Status."

The old Doctor stood up straight at the sight of the General, "Getting better General darling', these kids and their reckless ways. Back in my day…"

"Lieutenant Killrain, I respect your history and service but now is not the time." The General stopped Lieutenant Buster "Doc" Killrain from some long drawn out chain of old war stories from before even PAKs and SIR-units.

"Right sir, sorry sir. Sik is in surprisingly fair health, Marix is…Marix," he glanced over to Marix hitting on a tech. He flexed his muscles then winced in pain from the burns and his own skin splitting open again.

"And Mer?" Fine asked.

"Strangest way to die I must say." Doc shook his head.

"What?" Fine's face blanched white at the thought of losing Mer.

"Oh! No! She's very well alive! Just in a coma. Heh, didn't mean to scare ya General darlin'!" Doc laughed.

"Buster, I swear one of these days!" Fine actually laughed for once.

"Hah! I thought I'd be dead before I heard that beautiful sound again General darlin'!" The two seemed to enjoy each other's company.

Sik stared at them then turned to the tech tending to him, "excuse me miss," he addressed her politely, "I need some time alone."

"Yes sir." The tech let him leave.

Sik left for his old quarters, it was dark and quiet there. He pulled out a private comm. "I'm back in action."

A large Irken came onto the screen, "Ah, agent Sik! What have you to report?"

"Nice to see you alive too and not on a desert planet!" Sik growled, a hint of hate in his voice, "I found her, she is not only still alive but advancing faster than expected. And…" he paused.

"And?"

"And, she is stable without her PAK. There is no doubt in my mind that this has become more serious of an issue than we first thought. And on the subject of PAKs…hers is broken."

"A mistake on the Tallest's part I'm afraid. They thought breaking her PAK would kill her quickly, only Tank-bred's cannot survive without their PAKs…their second hope was it would make her too stupid to even function. Is that an incorrect calculation as well?"

"No, she's dumber than a rock. Can't even read from the looks of it. And you do know she cannot be taken out?" Sik knew the story well.

"I have accounted for this, Sik, there is more than one way to outsmart the cunning fox."

"And that is?" Sik asked.

The Irken chuckled, "in due time, Sik, in due time. For now, keep watch on her, and try to slow her advancement. Keep that hatch sealed tightly, we don't want to smoke the fox out of the hole just yet."

Sik nodded, "Agent Sik out." The comm. ended.


	13. Chapter Twelve

-1Chapter Twelve

_Meet the Vortains_

Alarms screamed on The Blitzkrieg, a distress signal not too far from Vort. Vort was taken by the Empire long ago; several high ranking officers had friends from Vort. General Fine, Lieutenant Marix, and Head of science Dirt, all ran to the bridge. Dirt pulled up a com-link, on the screen stood a Vortian in blue, K.

"What is it, K?" Marix asked.

"I'll give you one guess." K did not sound happy.

"Empire found out?" Marix asked.

A Vortian wearing camo and a sash heavy with medals bumped into K on the screen, he was blushing and looked WAY too happy, "Hai Fine, sup buddy? Who's the new girlfriend?" He was very drunk.

"Des-pear!" Fine shouted, "Did you blow up the base again?"

"Knocked'em out good Fine! Hey, why do they call you Fine? I mean, what kind of name is that? Eh?" A SIR-unit punched Des-pear. It was Heav-E, Des-pear's custom SIR-unit.

"My apologies sir, he…"

"We'll be there in the hour." Fine said flatly, "Fine out." He cut the transmission. "Dirt," he sighed, "lock away all alcohol, ask Kiim to hide it in her room. No one ever goes in there." Dirt nodded and left on her mission. "I want a space jump to Vort space in ten!" The bridge techs started the launch.

The air-lock opened, three Vortains and a SIR-unit came aboard The Blitzkrieg. Two males, one female. Fine, Marix, Dirt and Kiim greeted them.

"Ah, she's running smoothly like a well oiled generator." K sighed happily; he had helped built the ship from scratch.

"Well, it isn't easy work, I'll tell ya that!" Kiim puffed up her chest with pride. Being the main engineer to The Blitzkrieg, she was the one to fix it most of the time.

Fine sighed, "K, Des-pear, Vexa-lai, and Heav-E. This is Kiim, our head of engineering, and main mechanic. And this is Dirt, our lead scientist. She was the one who devised the system to conserve fuel, and pretty much most of the new weaponry" Kiim greeted them normally; Dirt just gave a quick wave, not looking up from her notes.

A loud screen of heavy boots sliding on metal floor interrupted the reunion. Mer slid right by the group and into a cleaning cart. Marix held up a score card with a six, a scratched out dot, and a nine.

"Annnnnnd that's Mer…she's…not too bright." Fine grumbled pulling a bucket off of Mer's big head.

Heav-E decked Marix for being a pervert, and then helped Mer to her feet, "Are you alright miss Mer?"

Mer groaned she opened her ghost blue eyes, staring down on the SIR-unit. She tilted her head to the left slightly, "Who…are you?"

"I'm Heav-E," Mer poked him, "has she never seen a SIR-unit?" he asked.

Fine shook his head, "Blade found her in a maximum prison back on Irk. She was never taught anything, not to read, not to write…I don't think she ever saw anything…not fleshy."

"She can't read, write, fight. She can talk a good talk and listen to you better than a well programmed SIR-unit with the world's best microphone, takes orders like a SIR-unit too. But she's got more issues and is a bigger pain in the ass than that damned nuclear reactor we use as a power source." Kiim explained, swinging a wrench on her finger. A small explosion shook the ship, "speak of the devil. Dirt, I'll need help science gal."

"Oh ho ho no you don't! I built this baby, she only has poor management!" K shouted after Kiim, he growled then followed the girls to the engine room.

Vexa-lai grasped Heav-E's shoulder, "Heav-E, why don't you and Mer take Des-pear to med-bay, hm?"

"Yes ma'am," Heav-E slung his master over his shoulder and started off, "c'mon Mer."

Mer blinked and followed, "Are we going to play a game?"

Once the two were out of antennae shot, Fine explained the current situation, how Blade and Sik got captured, Mer, his project, finding Sik again. The whole lot that only happened over a short span of maybe a couple of weeks.

"So the usual drama?" Vexa-lai joked after he was done, "I can't remember where, but I saw that mar on her forehead somewhere before. It is a mark right? Some of you Irkens and your crazy tattoos."

Fine gave her a cold stare.

"Okay, be that way Fine," Vexa-lai started off, "I'm sorry for you loss Fine, don't let it consume you," she paused, "And thanks…"


	14. Chapter Thirteen

-1Chapter Thirteen

_T is for Twins_

The clash of battle axes in a dark metal room, "clang, clang CLASH!" sometimes the whoosh of a tomahawk whizzing past. Two masters of the axe battle it out, no holding back. The sparks fly from the sharp metal blades scraping each other, lighting the room for a brief milli-second, like lightning in a dark storm, only seconds on the clock. The fights stops, the field is dark.

"Where are you?" a man's voice calls out, his breath cold, "show yourself!" his breathing was almost deafening in the silence, "coward!"

Someone kicked him to the ground with the clang of armor plating. The lights flickered on; standing on the man was almost an identical woman, "Todd you are losing it! We will run this drill until you get it right!" she shouted letting Todd off the floor.

"Aw, c'mon Tess, I'm hungry and tired." Todd whined.

Tess's cold glare did not waver, "Again!" She barked. The lights went out, and the sparks once again flew in a show of power.

Watching the whole ordeal was Des-pear, Heav-E, always by his masters side, and Mer. "If they are family, why do they fight so much?" Mer asked innocently, not understanding that Tess was an extreme perfectionist and would accept nothing less than her brothers' best.

"Well, the one with all the badges and in the teal armor is Tess, the older twin. She is commanding and expects nothing less than perfection from her squad-mates. Any failures and Hell have mercy on your soul. The one in the red-orange armor is Todd, he is the nicer twin, stronger to, like a big teddy bear. But Tess is as quick-witted and calculating as Des-pear is drunk right now." Heav-E explained to Mer.

Des-Pear had smuggled in heavy vinners, small bottle, high alcohol levels, "Go get her Todd! Bring that bitch down!" he cheered as the two fought. It ended the same way, however, "C'mon boy, lemme show ya how it's done!" Des-pear shouted, grabbing Todd's axe.

"Uh, bad idea sir!" Todd shouted, the axe shocked Des-pear into dropping it, the metal hit the floor with a loud bang.

"What the hell?" Des-pear shouted.

"Well that sobered him up." Tess snorted, looming over Des-pear. The twins towered, there were almost as tall as the tallest, and still growing. "Des-pear, you know very well our axes can only be held by Todd and myself. All others are shocked."

Des-pear growled, "I trained you, ya ungrateful brat!" Tess slapped him with the broad side of her axe, knocking him unconscious. Heav-E mouthed 'thank you' to Tess, then carried Des-pear off. Mer just sat there, staring at Tess and Todd, fascinated by them.

Fine wandered in as Heav-E dragged Des-pear out, "Des-pear smuggled in vinners and Tess slapped him?" he guessed correctly. Fine sighed, "I was going to ask him, but…seeing as how that is now out of the question. T-Squad! Front and center!"

The twins stood at attention in front of General Fine. "T-squad Commander Tess reporting, Sir!"

"T-squad second Todd reporting, Sir!" Todd shouted, echoing his sister in a salute.

"Like a well oiled machine," Fine whispered, "At ease soldiers, you have your toughest mission today," he paused dramatically, "training Mer."

Todd went white, his face broken. Tess laughed hysterically, "You are kidding right?" Tess snapped, Todd said the same thing, but sounded more worried than angered.

"I never kid." Fine left without another word.

Tess slammed her head into a wall, "Damn!"

"C'mon Tess, she can't be that bad!" Todd smiled.

Mer tried, hard, but try, try as she might, either you do, or you don't, there is no try. Failing every one of Tess' training programs. She ran off crying after the tenth failure.

"Todd, she can't be trained!" Tess barked.

Mer ran hard and fast, running blindly through the tears. She wanted to go home, back in her little dark hole. Ever since she left prison, she had been called several names. Leech, crybaby, whimp, garbage, useless, stupid, weak, loser, freak. She had been asked why the Empire didn't just kill her off, or why they didn't use her as target practice. Bullied non-stop, she was at the end of her rope. Mer closed her eyes tighter, 'when I open my eyes, I'll be home and this will just have been a long nightmare!' she thought to herself. She ran right over someone.

"What the heck? I hate this stupid ship! It keeps breaking down, and the troopers don't…" the female voice stopped its rant, "oh gosh, Mer! Are you alright?" Mer opened one of her blue eyes slowly, followed closely by the second. The harsh light beamed down on her, then focused to reveal Kiim and Dirt with very concerned expressions, "Mer, why are you crying?" Kiim asked again.

Mer lowered her gaze, a sign of respect for someone a higher rank than you, or when you are too upset to look them in the eye. "I'm a failure, I wanna go home!" Mer shook her head, grabbing it and shaking it from the adrenalin coursing through her veins. Dirt forced Mer to her feet.

"Mer, you can't go back there! It's almost as bad as suicide!" Kiim blinked at Dirt, "Okay it is suicide, but this is your home now! Don't let those troopers drag you down because they don't feel important. You are your own person, special in your own way." Kiim hugged Mer. Kiim was known for her Split-personality-disorder, sometimes an ass, other times as sweet as can be. Mer hugged her back instinctively.

"But…I can't even…"Mer spoke softly.

Dirt drew a sketch of a caterpillar, a cocoon, and a butterfly. She pointed to the caterpillar with the pen, then drew a line to the cocoon, and finally the butterfly.

"Dirt's right! You just need to find your thing! Look at Dirt, she's only a decent fighter, and that's only when she has the advantage of surprise and if she gets lucky. Wave those meatless arms Dirt!"

Dirt gave Kiim a 'what the fuck?' look.

"But she fights with her mind, using her foes strengths against it. Look at me! I'm socially unstable and scare the crap out of the other engineers. You have to take what you got and run with it! And don't let those bullies, those bitches, or any other idiots make you feel weak and unwanted. You are special in your own way, and you don't need them." Kiim hugged Mer, "C'mon, lets got have some fun with those assholes in the mess." Kiim laughed, ushering Mer towards the mess hall.

Dirt grabbed Mer's' shoulder, Dirt stared at Mer right in the eyes. Mer smiled at Dirt concern, understanding exactly what the mute meant to say, "I'll be fine, Dirt. I have friends here." Dirt, for once in her life, smiled, and hugged Mer.


	15. Chapter Fourteen

-1Chapter Fourteen

_Killer Angels_

Many techs buzzing around the med-lab, tending to either sick or injured troopers. Taking short breaks, whenever they can, in the break room or the mess hall. Being a medic in the Irken Rebellion, on any ship, was a daunting, constant, 24/7 task. The war was relentless, any troopers that came back still somewhat alive were sent here. There was no medical or honorable discharge unless you were dead or completely useless. Leading these tasks, were only one official doctor and one mercenary doctor who really didn't do his job often. Far-les was said lazy doctor, leaving only Buster "Doc" Killrain to do all the work.

Often referred to as Doc, Buster is one of the "old-farts" left over from wars long before even Impending Doom I. Old enough to be Tallest Miuki's Grandfather! He often had a full blown beard, or an Irken version of one after huge battles with the Empire. It was debatable if Dirt, Head of Science and Engineering, or Doc, head of medical research and keeping the Rebellion stocked with cannon fodder, worked harder, longer hours.

"Tech! I need a status on Todd!" Doc ordered in a gentle, Scottish accent…as gentle as a deep Scottish accent can get at least.

"Todd is in good condition and ready to be released sir, just banged up from his sister drilling him constantly again. Tess really needs to ease up…nothing a little rest and a few band-aids can't fix sir." The tech answered.

"Good," replied Doc, cheerful as ever, "you heard the lass, Todd; get your kiester in bed!" Doc smiled.

"Yes sir…" Todd stood up slowly, holding an ice pack to a lump on his head after getting slapped with the flat side of an axe.

"That a boy. Give your sister my regards, and tell the lass to go easy on yah! A'right boy? You keep letting her pus you around and you'll never stand on your own two feet." Doc patted Todd on the back.

"I will sir, thank you." Todd smiled and left.

A few minutes later, General Fine came into the med-bay, "Afternoon Doctor Killrain."

"Ah, don't call me that General darlin', just call me Doc. That's what all the other kids are calling me. What brings ya here General darlin'? Stomach ache? Got your buddy to shoot ya in the foot? Some of the rookies seem to think that will get them home." Doc rolled his eyes, glancing at a trooper whining about getting blasted in the foot.

"No sir, just advice," Fine shook his head.

"Here is a tid-bit, don't call me sir. I work for a living, and besides, you are a higher rank than me General Darlin'." Doc smiled, scratching his stubble.

"Yeah, but, you're an elder and…" Fine started.

"'Nother tid-bit, don't call a man, or a woman, who is still kicking old."

Fine smiled, "Buster…" he shook his head, "was breaking tension part of the training as a medic?"

"Hah, no, no General Darlin', I was always the jokester in my unit back in the day. I remember the salsa bombs in the drill sergeant's office. Oh boy was he redder than the peppers in that sauce!" Doc and Fine laughed, "Now tell me General Darlin'; what do ya need advice on from 'an old-fart with one foot in the hole'?"

"First, point out which asshole said that, and second," Fine's tone went down to a whisper, "I don't know what to do…"

Doc sighed, running his fingers over his head. He had hoped Fine would ask him something else, maybe girl troubles at least. "Well, I was around before SIR-units and PAKs and tank breds…personally I side with General Blade to a point…and ONLY to that point. But, if you must, I suggest letting it drop for a while…let some better ideas flow out. You try and start that thing up and the whole ship will go out."

"Still sounds like you want to pigeon-hole it."

"Yep!" Doc laughed, "But really Fine, you are not Finrack, you are not a God. A man should be judged, for what he did the choices he made to live with in his life. Not for how his father did those things." Doc spoke those words as he did back in the wars to his commanding officer, they won the war with those words. He placed a hand on Fines shoulder.

Fine looked up to Doc and smiled, "Why didn't I have you instead of Marix back on The Severed Claw?" Fine saw Marix walk in the med-bay with a boot implanted in his face, moaning loudly. "Oh yeah, no lab techs back then for him to annoy." The two men laughed.


	16. Chapter Fifteen

-1Chapter Fifteen

_A Slight Issue_

"Begin launch test now!" Fine shouted, Dirt started to activate Project HB. The ship rumbled at the effort, whining at the exertion. "Come on…come on!" Fine whispered under his breath, the harsh tone urging the engine on.

"General Fine, she can't take much more!" a scientist shouted.

"General, we have to abort now!" a tech echoed.

"Just a little more!" Fine shouted back, then whispered to the ship, "C'mon girl, you can do this…" Alarms rang, turning the lab a reddish tint.

"General!" a chorus of shouts rang at Fine.

"She's gonna blow!" The ship went dark. General Fine got out a glow stick; Dirt lit the way with her lens.

Two familiar and very pissed off voices called in the dark, "FINE YOU ASSHOLE!"

Fine looked to Dirt for advice in vain; she just gave him a look and wrote down notes silently. "Sometimes I wonder how I got here." Fine face-palmed.

Watching with stone cold eyes through a liquid metal orb was the Severed Claw Crew's old friend, Slight. A jacked up Irken scientist looking to destroy the current government on Irk and becoming a tyrant. He laughed, quick witted and cunning, he laughed more. "Oh FINA, how simple a task can you fail at? You can't even online a SIR-unit?" he paused, "Pity, I was hoping for more of a challenge." The old Irken tangled his fingers over his cane, "and what is this?" the camera turned to Dirt, hastily writing notes, "more claw fodder? I had so much fun with the last one. Seems you can't keep your hands off the smart ones." He smirked.

Another Irken, this one with green eyes walked into the dimly lit chamber, "Master Slight, a transmission."

"The Order?" Slight asked. The other Irken nodded. "Put it through Keen."

The metal formed together, making a screen. "Dr. Slight I presume? It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

Slight twitched his antennae, the Irken on the screen buckled over in pain. "What deal do you want this time Jon? Another pointless prize for me? Please, there is nothing you can offer to spark my interest."

The Irken on the screen, Jon, stood slowly, "We have a common enemy, a common purpose, and…a common threat, to said purpose."

"Ah yes, the little blue one." Slight chuckled, picturing Mer in his mind.

"With a little ability that will grow into a not so little problem. It may be true that she has no enemies, and has no motivation to harm one single life form, but…she will listen to anyone. General Fine currently holds the controller, since that is whom she trusts, and that puts our missions at risk."

"It is but a simple task to reroute the wire to a new puppet master, Jon."

"Ant that's why I require your assistance. She may be slow on book smarts, and street smarts, but she now has an entire rebellion as guard dogs. The biggest dogs being old friends of ours." Jon explained.

"Leave the dogs to me; get your agent to smoke out the fox." Slight eyed Jon.

"I'll inform Sik at once, Jon out." The transmission ended.

Slight turned in his chair, "Keen, I need all data on the unknowns of FINA's new band of motley defects."

Keen nodded and carried out the order.

"I love fox stew, don't you?" Slight grinned at the metal orbs, watching The Blitzkrieg.


	17. Chapter Sixteen

-1Chapter Sixteen

_Sik's Nightmare_

The buzz of a taser, the scream of an Irken in pain from its stinging bite, shocking several times. The yells of an angry and lost Irken, striking out in the worst way possible. Did Marix hit on the wrong tech? Nope. Des-pear drunk? Not even close, he was busy still fixing the downed generator from Fine blowing it up. The backup got emergency lights on, but that was it.

A door slams shut in a dark room, the click of boots on a metal floor. "Why did I ask Marix for tips? I am so stupid!" It as Sik. Earlier he asked Marix for a good way to impress Dirt, big mistake. Instead of a boot to the head, he got a taser shot to the balls. Sik was black from so many shocks, "you really messed up on this one Sik." He wiped his face off and changed his clothes. "Taking advice from waffle-head, Heh, genius move there. He kicked a dent in the wall.

"Sik! I better not find a dent in there!" Kiim yelled from the engine room.

"I'll fix it later!" he yelled back, then slammed on his bed, "I swear the women of the rebellion are scarier than the men of the Armada." He closed his eyes, drifting off into sleep.

Sik sat in a throne, in the pits below, the crew of The Blitzkrieg fought for their lives against cannibals, he laughed at them. Next to him, shackled to his throne was Dirt writing down in her notepad the way she did to Fine…minus the shackles. A trooper from the Order towed in a capsule, a tall Irken inside, scared for her life. "Ah, Mer! So pleasing it is, for you to fall today and the end of my sword." He laughed victoriously.

"Sik? No! How could you?" she begged for this to not be true.

Sik laughed at her pain, "You were foolish to think you and your rebel buddies could win. What do you see Mer? Look around you! I'm in control now!" he laughed triumphantly.

"No…" Mer spoke in a whisper, "you are the fool Sik…"

"I am a fool? HAH! That's a laugh! You can't even read you moron." He grinned maliciously.

"_And you think this is the end of the story, Sik?_" a voice echoed in Sik's mind. Sik looked around, confused. "_It's only the beginning of a new chapter in history._" The capsule blew up.

Sik growled, "What is the meaning of this? I won!"

"_No, you have not won the game. You couldn't even compete!_" Large white eyes lit up in the smoke. Sik's eyes widened, he ran, the beast gave chase, "_Oh, don't run Sik. Let's play a game! You're it._" it roared and slashed at Sik. Sik unleashed a shockwave of energy, the beast absorbed it, "_Chaos Mana? A powerful force and this is all you've got? I laugh at thee!_" it laughed and mocked Sik.

Sik growled at it, "You will not defeat me!" he howled in pain as the beast struck down upon him.

Back in reality, Sik was suffering from a seizure, and a bad one at that. Sik opened his two tones eyes to the fading lights above him. 'Shit, well this is it!' he thought absently.

Something, or someone, slammed on Sik. Then pumped his chest full of air. It beat on Siks chest harder and harder, was…someone…trying to save him? Whoever it was, they restrained Sik from hurting himself, and kept breathing into him. "Sik! Sik! Don't you dare die on me!" a voice called out.

"You're doing it wrong!" Another, raspier voice shouted. Sik felt an electrical shock, and blacked out.

Sik woke up in the ICU. He glanced around; Doc was checking his vitals, at the foot of his bed, holding a tray of sweets was the ever smiling Mer, and the introverted Blade, most likely showing off for one of the techs. Sik blinked, was this real? Mer wore a badge on the belt of her shirt, a silver heart? Did Mer just save his life? Surely she is too foolish! He stared at Blades badges, no hearts, damn; the one person he feared just saved his ass…how ironic.

"Ah! You're finally awake lad!" Doc smiled patting Sik on the head, "Mer here found you having a serious seizure and preformed well!"

"Yep, it was all Smeety!" Blade pulled a fake smile.

"But you…" Mer began.

"Quiet hero-butt." It was obvious Blade used Mer's antennae, which at the time looked like sparklers, to shock Sik out of his seizure. Why didn't he tell the truth? Maybe he just wanted to keep a demeanor of that badass guy who is only there to kill his enemies. Meh, no one knows. "The point is you…"

"Lost a bet and have to be nice to Mer for three more weeks, we know the story." Doc smiled.

"I hate you Lucky." Blade growled under his breath.

Sik slammed his head on the pillow, "ugh!"

Mer sat the tray of snacks on the nightstand and left.


	18. Chapter Seventeen

-1Chapter Seventeen

_Order! Order in the market!_

"Aw, c'mon Hev!" Des-pear begged Heav-E to open his storage so Des-pear could sneak in more booze. Heav-E denied his request on orders from Fine, "Well fine then!" Des-pear sniggered from his own accidental pun. He and Heav-E had been asked to take a voot to get supplies on a nearby planet. Kinack was a well known trade sector, Des-pear also knew some guys here that would sell him the best stock. "Speaking of sneaking, where did lil'miss Smeety run off to this time?"

"Scanning." Heav-E began scanning for Mer; they brought her along for some odd-ball reason. Maybe it was just part of Des-pears plan to get alcohol onto the ship by making her think it was some sugar infested sports drink. "Target found." Heav-E pointed to Mer studying a stall full of musical instruments.

Mer listened as the merchant played a tune with bells, all lined up in a row on a plank. Big bells, little bells, old bells, new bells, he had them all. She loved the sweet tender sound of the bells ringing, each in turn. The sound was loud, but pleasing to the listeners passing by. The way they glistened in the sun also caught her eye. "That was beautiful!" she smiled sweetly to the merchant.

"Oh why thank you ma'am. Not many people enjoy listening to wandering bards anymore. What with their portable music players that they can blast this crap music of people thinking they are good when really they just have an attitude problem and make millions by screaming into a can. My profession is slowly going out of style." The flamboyantly dressed, red skinned man bowed, taking off his hat while doing so exposing long rounded horns and drooping ears. "What is your name young miss?"

"My name is Mer~!" Mer smiled, almost singing her words.

"My, my! What a heavenly name! On my home-world, Mer means 'Beautiful Sea'. Ah, and your eyes reflect like the oceans of my home-world as well! Such beautiful waters, teeming with life unknown to us land-dwellers. My name is Arcanaru." The red skinned lizard man bowed again.

Heav-E tugged on Mer's sleeve, "Miss Mer please do not run off like that."

"I see…" Arcanaru's voice trailed off, he looked saddened, "You have a custom SIR-unit." He sighed.

Mer shook her head, "he belongs to Des-pear!" she pointed to the Vortian behind her, a bit tipsy from drinking the vinners he just bought.

"Ah! I see!" The man brightened up, wagging his fur-tipped tail again. He started to hum a tune long lost to history as he wrapped something up, "Take this bell, it's on the house this time. It is my favorite bell, not many can hear its tune. My father used it to call for the aid of The Guardians during the war of Shadow's canyon. Help came for him in the whispers in the wind." Arcanaru smiled handing Mer the shining, white handled bell. In the handle was a carving of a feather, the detailing was of a master craftsmen's hand.

Mer gasped at its beauty, "Thank you so much sir!" The group gave their farewells and headed out to the waiting voot outside of town.

Mer started ringing her bell on the way, it made no sound. She rang it again and again, still nothing. No beautiful ringing, not even a whisper. Still, she smiled as if it was the most beautiful thing she ever knew.

"I'm sorry Mer, it's broken." Heav-E held her shoulder.

"I knew it was a piece of junk, that's why he gave it away. Makes no sense to just give away something that is 'so special'." Des-pear grumbled using air quotes. He was stuck carrying the supplies since Heav-E knew he drank the vinners he just bought and that it would sober him up a bit. Needless to say, the Vortian was none too pleased, "Hey, Mer, why not put that useless bell away and lend me a hand?" He asked, lightening his tone a little.

Mer stopped suddenly, yelling at Des-pear, she said "It's not useless! It is the most beautiful and unique thing I have ever seen!" She turned on her heels, tucking the bell into her sleeve she continued towards the waiting voot. "It just needs some love and it will sing once again!" She smiled happily, almost skipping.

Heav-E was about to say something when he pulled Mer out of the life of fire from a plasma rifle. "Heav-E! Attack mode!" Des-pear shouted, pulling out his favorite rocket launcher.

"Sir, yes sir!" Heav-E open fired on the attackers. "Sir, targets are elite order troopers!"

"Order troopers eh? They always make things…" Des-pear was cut off by rouges cloaking behind him, and then hitting the drunkard from behind.

"Des-pear!" Mer hollered as large Order grunts grabbed her, holding her up to where her feet no longer reached the ground and she couldn't run. She thrashed and kicked out, biting and doing everything she could to fight them off, but it was no use. The grunts grew tired of her thrashing and started to squeeze her chest to where she could no longer breathe with their bare hands. Mer screamed and cried out in pain as her ribcage played a symphony of sickening cracks and breaking sounds. "Heav-E HELP!" were her last words spoken before she lost conscious from the pain and lack of air.

Heav-E was torn; his master was being carried off in one direction, and Mer, a good friend of his, in the other. Mer could be dead right now or about to die, there was no way he could get her to help in time. Des-pear could be saved still. He swallowed hard (if robots could swallow) and made the hardest decision. He shot down the rogues, each screaming in pain as the hot plasma burned through their backs, searing the flesh and setting them on fire from such a close range. Heav-E rocketed to Des-pears side. He was out cold, but stable. He turned quickly; Heav-E was not surprised to see the grunts gone, as well as Mer. He kicked the sand as well as himself, "Fine is going to kill me." He sighed.

"You mean to tell me the Order ambushed you, easily over-powered you, knocked you out and got away with Mer after possibly crushing her to death?" Fine blinked at Heav-E and Des-pear. "Perfect! Give me a few hours and we will not only have Mer back but also find the Orders headquarters." Fine smiled, Des-pear and Heav-E looked to him in shock. Heav-E held out a small, broken, tracker. Fine's good mood spoiled, his smile turned sour. He was about to yell when, as strange as it may seem, a bell sounded.

It rang several times, like chimes blowing in the summer wind. It was a small, almost deafening sound as everything else went from what seemed a loud roar compared to the soft purr that was now fact. The soft, pleasing right called out for someone to answer it. Like a sparrow in spring, calling out for its family. It sang beautifully, silencing the ship with the source less tune. The entire crew stared off into space, glancing all around, searching for where it echoed from. Their faces filled with hope like a child lost in darkness who just found their teddy-bear and the hall light in the dead of night during a storm. The ringing hypnotized them into such bliss as mentioned before. An onlooker would think this is the time to strike, when something bad would happen. But alas, none came. The ringing ceased after what seemed an eternity. The purr of the engine was heard again, humming through the air. The single note tune of the lights above, humming their torturous curse. The breathing of the crew seemed like thunder now compared to what that bell made.

Fine blinked, his voice barely a whisper, "what the…" he was a man of science; mystical oddities like this did not exist to him. But, now, clear as day, he listened.

"I thought that bell was broken…how…?" Des-pear also whispered, just as confused as his friend.

Dirt blinked, she was first to recover and ran off from her superiors. She knew what was going on and had to make her move.


	19. Chapter Eighteen

-1Chapter Eighteen

_Discord in the Order_

Dirt ran into the main lab. She threw down switches, slowly activating the tank in the center of the lab. Switch after switch, not caring that the ship had only revived its power just that morning. Dirt ran as fast as she could, sweating bullets as she attempted to do the work of a thousand scientists. She knew it was now or never, Fines secret little project had to launch onto the stage now.

Vexa-Lai and Mono ran to the lab, they both had the same idea as Dirt. The three nodding in agreement to this pact, they threw the final switches, taking their positions on the monitors. "Main start-up sequence online." Vexa shouted.

"Launch sequence engaged, we are go!" Mono confirmed.

Dirt threw the last switch. The ship hollered at the effort, moaning to let it have mercy. The girls bit their lips till they bled, hoping…praying.

"C'mon…c'mon…" Vexa whispered under her breath.

The tank lit up, a form was seen inside. Optics onlined, "HB…Online." It said with a monotonous voice. The girls sighed with relief as the SIR-unit stepped out of the tank.

"Bring that little brat home." Vexa said with a smile, a hint of vigor in her voice.

The SIR-unit nodded, it blasted off into the vastness of space instantly tracking his host Irken in its darkness.

Aboard the Harbinger Four, several Order scientists used tasers, whips and other forms of torture (known on Earth as Chinese Water Torture) to get the Irken to spill any, if not all, of the Rebellions secrets. Locations, battle plans, numbers of troopers, Voots, Battle Cruisers, anything they could squeeze out about the Rebellion and other factions Mer knew nothing about. "Tell us where the Guardians reside drone!" they would order her to speak.

Mer either said nothing through her quivering sobs as a prisoner of war or screamed, "I don't know!" through her pain. After any response they did not like, the scientists would whip her with burning lashes, or tase her. Were these people crazy? Mer had no idea whom these Guardians they spoke of were. The Guardians? People who fit that term still exist? If so, Mer could use a hero right now.

"Talk wench!" Again she was tased after no response.

Mer screamed in agony as the volts shot through her. Her antennae were bound and covered with sleeves to prevent electric shock to her captors. "I don't know! I don't know who you speak of! Please! Please, mercy, I beg of you. This is most unsound! Please…" her plea was drowned in bursts of sputtering sobs.

The scientists looked to each other for guidance. The whip, barbed with its burning thorns came down to take another bite out of Mers now tender back.

The crack of the whip never sounded. The lashing whip had been severed from its handle, now lying limp on the cold emotionless metal floor. The only sound heard in the chamber was Mer's sniveling sobs, paired with the soft humming of the ships engines. "You call yourselves 'The Order' yet all I see is discord and chaos in your wake of destruction to the lives of innocence," a monotone voice called out, "you sicken me." Oil was spat out at the scientists. They ducked, calling out for the coward to show his face. The SIR-unit brought great surprise with it appearing in the light. It had a single red visor covering its optical sensors, two tall antennae white in color just as the rest of its hue less shell. Its ten mechanical arms, four holding plasma rifles. Its visor bent into a harsh scowl equally matched to Fine's death glare. It spoke again, "You shall make a sound decision, and release your prisoners less you wish to meet Tarturus today." He glowered.

The scientists looked upon each and one-another for guidance. They agreed in unison, bringing out their small tasers, ready for a fight. But, alas, they were slow on the draw. The SIR-unit gunned them down before they took one more sweet breath of life, all falling with deaths black veil pooling in their compound eyes. The SIR-unit turned to Mer, quivering, scared that she might meet the same fate as her captors. "Please, if you must, make it quick. I wish no longer to see people fall into deaths arms because of my actions." She closed her eyes, bowing her head to all powerful fate.

The SIR-unit complied, it raised a single plasma blaster, taking aim at Mer. He paused, making her panic was the last on his list. He may have been designed to kill, but merciless he was not. He fired once he felt she was calmer, yet no pain she felt. She fell, the loud clatter of her shackles that hung her from the ceiling, hit the floor. Mer, however, did not kiss the floor as the other scientists did. She barely felt anything at all, her body cold and numb as it was before the shot was fired. Glancing down now, she saw the smoking bodies of the scientists, yet she felt nothing. No lashing whips biting at her pale skin. No sting of tasers, crackling laughter at her pain and suffering. It was over now…

…But…The fates have a way of changing in the strangest of times.

"Are you alright Mer?" the voice from before asked kindly.

Mer turned to see the SIR-unit had sniped the shackles right off of her wrists, then caught her by the collar of her shirt after falling maybe five or six inches with one of his mechanical arms. He slowly retracted the arm, bringing Mer safely to the ground. After scanning her to spot any serious injury, she only came up as hypothermic, pretty cut up, and in a lot of mental trauma. But nothing a few bandages and some rest can fix up.

Mer blinked slowly, then asked the age old question of trust. "Are you a friend of a friend?"Her voice now barely a whisper, and very hoarse. Very few these days knew the right answer.

HB paused for a long time, thinking hard as to what she meant. He could have just said yes, or that Fine and the rest of the crew in the Rebellion built him, but she seemed too clever to need such a simple answer. "I'm a friend of a friend." He smiled, confident he said the right words. Mer smiled, jackpot. "C'mon, let's get you home." HB took Mer by the hand leading her out of the Harbinger Four.

Once they reached space, the two now faced a new problem. A planet never seen before by Irken eyes. The planets and stars around it were well known…but this? It was never noted in any records. Its surface was compiled of dark volcanic rock, smoking as it cooled from liquid form into shining stone. Every so often, lava was spewed out of a webbing of red glowing cracks on the surface. Mer went cold again, she did know the planet, but its power was all too familiar. "Boggnawr" she whispered, her voice quivering in fear as the memories flooded back from a time before her mortal existence.


	20. Chapter Nineteen

-1Chapter Nineteen

_The Eternal War_

Mer had gone limp upon the sight of the planet before them. HB tired to wake her but to no success. He noted her mark glowing and sped off to The Blitzkrieg. "Hang on Mer!" He shouted, but she could not hear him.

Mer could not hear him, she heard nothing over the sounds of clashing talons, teeth ripping into flesh, and to top the symphony of war, the sickening cracking and snapping of bones, echoed by the chorus of screaming, directed by the bringer of agony both mental and physical, Death himself.

The world was fire itself. The single planet, Battleground Major, set ablaze with war. Who started this bloodlust? Most would point fingers at the heavyweights, and true, they carried on the flag. But it was the people whom fed the fiery rage. This anger and rage brood a new faction, The Guardians of Chaos.

Their world was now stricken with death and destruction. Dying over each factions race and lust for power on the single world. The agony of innocent lives being burned away in their fight only cheered on one faction, while twiddling away at the other. Most think the story from here is the smallest Guardian of Mana gave a speech that calmed the hearts of the warring factions. If only war was so glorious and heroic. This is what war really is. It's not heroes fighting for a glorious cause then coming out of it and living happily ever after with a beautiful princess while living happily with all the money they could want.

In reality, most who jump out of line or try and save their comrades usually die themselves or come out of it missing something important like their sanity. War isn't pretty; it isn't a fun field trip you can just leave at any time. When you sign up to fight in a war, you can bet money on not ever coming back.

You hear the shot of a gun; you will never forget that sound. Bang, your best friend is dead. Bang, your brother falls right next to you, the black veil of death covering his eyes. You scream so loud in agony for those whom can't. Bang, you taste hot steel piercing your quivering flesh, the pain is quick, but you know what happened as your body goes cold. Death pulls you into the cold dark abyss of lost souls. Now you can see into the future, you see your family, morning over your body torn up from the gunfire and your own comrades trying to help you. You see your younger sibling holding the gift you told them to hang onto till you came marching home. You see them angry at the one who shot you, the pen signing their soul away to the same fate that condemned you to be cannon fodder.

Mer, eyes wide with fear, stared at the scene before her. Titans she only heard of in stories, battling it out in an all out war. But what for? She began to sob. The cry of an eagle sounded over the fight, but no hope did it bring. Mers heart sank as the eagle showed itself. A billowing cloud of smoke, taking off from the smoke, a truly titanic bird of fire plumed from the crust of the planet below. It stared down upon the Irken with much amusement, standing alone as if she was going to stop him all alone.

It laughed at her, "Such a pretty little sparrow, you die too. You cannot escape what I have planned for you. Pretty little bird, sweet little bird. Sing your song for me." He smiled wickedly.

Mer tried to run, but something made her stand her ground. Now was not the time to run. War may only bring death but if no one stands up only tyranny will prevail. "No…" she spoke so softly, it was only a whisper in the wind. The firebird laughed at her disobedience. "I will not run anymore, I won't make this a game for you Boggnawr! I'm not a caged bird you can just bat at for your amusement! You are no God! And all will fall to the arrow of fate! Not even fate itself can protect you! I do not stand alone!" She shouted with much ferocity and vigor.

The firebird, Boggnawr, only laughed more. "Sweet little bird, oh how wrong you are."

Mer could finally see again. HB had found The Blitzkrieg, no longer a glorious battle cruiser, but heavily damaged, burning from the fires of war.

"_You brought this to them…they suffer now…because of you…Sweet little Sparrow_" The voice of Boggnawr echoed in her mind, laughing, taunting…

Mer spoke, her voice dry and hoarse, "Can an eternal war ever end?"


	21. Chapter Twenty

-1Chapter twenty

_Blitzkrieg down_

"We need to evacuate!" a tech shouted before being shot in the leg with a plasma blaster. Both Order and Empire troops had been dispatched to attack The Blitzkrieg.

"These guys have bad aim…" a trooper laughed at his observation before getting his unmentionables shot off.

Lucky rolled out, shooting down several Empire troopers before going for cover, "I'm running out of ammo!"

"Why not go make a bet with them, you are sure to win, Lucky." Blade hissed at Lucky, obviously not really caring about the sure-shot card shark. He shot down a few clumsy troopers.

"Aw shucks General! I would but…I don't think I could get close enough to talk card bets before they would shoot me down." Lucky shot at another that Blade had missed. This didn't make the General much happier at this point.

Mer and HB finally reached the small group of rebels. "Smeety!" Blade sounded suspiciously pleased to see Mer, "perfect timing as always. Why not go out there and give those guys shooting at poor defenseless us a speech about harming innocents or some shit."

Mer almost blew Blades head off with her volume, "WE HAVE TO GO! THERE IS NO TIME FOR SILLY SPEECHES!" She tugged on the general's skin tight uniform, worry in her eyes.

"That's what I said!" The bleeding tech yelled in agony.

Blade growled darkly when more Empire Elite troops flooded the hallway, shouting their commands to one another. "Fine let's go!" The group ran as fast as their legs could carry them.

On the way to the hanger, the group took out several more bands of Empire and Order grunts, rouges, troopers, and full on squads. Their small band soon became a platoon of rebel troops gathering together. "We're almost there!" Lucky shouted.

The platoon came into the hanger. Fine had already loaded pretty much all of the rebellion into evacuation pods, set for the nearest planet. He spotted Blade with the last of the Rebellion. He loaded them up and set out in his own pod. This ship was going down, there was no stopping it.

The Blitzkrieg, however, still had a few passengers aboard. They did not make it to the hanger for each their own reason. In their honor, the crew built a memorial out of parts they found in the wreckage. Many names were engraved. Among them, Head of Science Dirt, Head of strategy Mono, Vortian Vexa-Lai, and Mer (Smeety). Dirt, Vexa and Mono were trapped in the lab. Mer was last seen with Blade and his group, but never made it onto the hanger. The crew wept knowing not only were huge figures in the Rebellion like Dirt and Mono gone, many Vortian rebels saw Vexa's death as a wakeup call for them. And Mer…well…the situation would have seemed a little brighter with her smiling face right now.

…Their bodies…

…Were never found…


	22. Chapter TwentyOne

-1Chapter Twenty-one

_What are we?_

With the reports confirmed that Dirt, Mono, Vexa and Mer went down with the ship. The temporary headquarters for the Rebellion was like a graveyard. Dark and grey, lifeless as if all joy was ripped from them with the destruction of their ship. Not only was it home to many of the crew members, but some had relations to the ones whom died on that ship. The entire fleet felt dead and cold inside despite the immense heat. They had been ripped from their fantasy land about this war, and thrown into a reality they did not want. Some tried to cheer others up, but it was in vain. Tess didn't even drill Todd, which would be much to his relief if it wasn't for why. It was a grey day anyways, the smoke from the still burning ship covering up the skies in a sheet of black smoke. Moaning of the hurt and dying echoed through the camp, sourced from the medical tent.

Fine didn't even bother asking for a report from Doc. Doc neither had the time to report, nor was there a necessity for it. He knew everyone was either dead or in bad condition either mentally or physically…most had both issues. The morale was downed dramatically since the attack started. One could see this in various ways, one being Marix just sitting by himself. He did not bother any of the females, nor even glance in their direction. Come to think of it, nobody held their head up. No one looked each other in the eye when they spoke. Heck, no words were even spoken since the crash. Everyone worked like automatons, programmed by some higher power.

Blade sat alone on a rock formation, baking in the blistering heat. He became tired of this…nothingness. Usually there was a fight to watch or something, but…nothing happened. It started to drive him mad…well…madder. He searched the horizon line, pleading to some higher power for something to do. Watch a rabbit die in the mouth of a snake, watch ants work like…well a colony of ants…anything to ease the doldrums! Blade spotted a small Loyalist colony far off to the East. He grinned maliciously at what fun he would have now, but not alone. Oh no, a raid was no fun when you looted alone.

Blade convinced Tess and Todd to join him in, 'getting supplies for Fine' from some Empire troops in a nearby town. He spun a web of lies that Tess saw right though, but her anger drove her to accept. The twins agreed and set off on their mission.

Fine rubbed his scalp; stressful decisions were usually made by Dirt. She always was able to make hard decisions on a dime, and she was **always** right. As of now, most of the greatest minds in the Rebellion were gone, taken away when they were needed most. What sort of cruelty did fate have in plan for them now? What could he do?

Des-pear sat next to Fine. "I can say I am sober right now, and you need this more than I do in my opinion leader pants." He handed Fine a bottle of Voot juice.

Fine denied it, pushing the shimmering bottle away, "I need a clear head Des, I can't…" his voice trailed off into worried mumbles. He spoke the way a tired child would after a stressful first day of school.

Des-pear patted him on the back, "I know Fine…but we can't dwell on what has happened. General Fine, we must press on." Des-pear tried to cheer up his friend.

"General my ass…I don't even know anymore…"

The twins and Blade raided the town wearing tribal masks to disguise their identities. They really didn't have to; the marks on their uniforms gave it away anyways. But it was a good affect on the villagers. "What…are you?" a mother asked after falling into the dirt, quivering in fear as the lead came up to her. She was barely hanging onto life. The painted mask just stared at her, splattered with green blood. It did not respond in words. It only carved the Rebellions insignia into her burning flesh, and left her there to die in the sun.


	23. Chapter TwentyTwo

-1Chapter Twenty Two

_Who are we?_

Smoke billowing miles away on the horizon line. A town has been ransacked, it is burning. People are dying, children are crying. The three marauders come into the rebel camp, carrying their loot from pirating on their raid. Caked in sweat and blood, Tess, Todd, and Blade shared their prize with their comrades. But, their joy was cut short by the homecoming party. Fine and Marix stepped out of the officers' tent, Doc joined them.

Fine appeared as if he was about to rupture his spooch he was so angered. "I expect this sort of insubordination from Blade," he scowled his equally ranked officer, "but you two? Tess, you know better and you know well why we do not raid innocent townsfolk and kill them off!" He snapped at the much taller commander of T-squad. "What were you thinking? We are not pirates! There are rules we follow! I do not know how they trained you two, but I expected more than animalistic killing sprees then looting like lawless and ungoverned Neanderthals! You two are a disgrace!" Fine went on and on at the two, he knew their parents personally, and knew they would've taught these two better had they been around. Doc and Marix knew this side of Fine well, and knew not to get in the way nor try to stop his rage.

"Hey! We got food and supplies, enough for everyone still alive! If you think we did this for pleasure we did not!" Blade snapped back, clutching his white knuckled fists.

Fine glared at Blade again, "I know your history Blade."

"Do you?" Blade snapped again, getting in Fines personal space. The two glared at each other, both wanting to kill the other yet at the same time waiting for the other to strike first.

"This has to stop" K whispered under his breath, "Fine! C'mere!" He sounded urgent. Once Fine made his way over, K started explaining, "Fine," he started, "Kiim and I can find no way to even build a voot out of this junk. Maybe the three of them got something we could use…" he tried his best to justify their actions, but to no avail.

"K, I trust your judgment but I will not allow anyone to let this Rebellion fall to its knees. Stealing and burning towns will not help us right now, no matter how desperate we get." Fine sighed longingly.

Watching the group, Slight laughed at his work of the Rebellion. Taking out one ship and the entire operation is down for the count. "Four down, several hundred to go." He smiled with great pride at his handiwork. The Doctor turned to four tanks, the one of the left opened up, a skinny Irken came out. Slight grabbed it with liquid metal, "Name, function, NOW!"

"Uh…uh…" the Irken stuttered in fear.

"Damn…" Slight ripped the Irken in half, tossing the pieces aside like a broken toy, "another defect." He watched space out the window, the deep, dark coldness that seemed to go on forever. "How hard is it to clone four female rebel defects?" he whispered quietly before sighing deeply.

"Sir?" Keen called from the other side of the lab. "This came for you." He held up a note that seemed to be thousands of years old. It was tattered and slightly burnt.

Slight undid the string around the envelope; the smell of old crisp paper filled the room. Slight read the note aloud…

_To the mortal scum known as Doctor Slight,_

_ Meddle not in the affairs of Guardians. You may do as you please with the other mortals of the Rebellion, but, keep my little sparrow alive and trapped in its own nest. Conform to my demands and you will be granted my greatest gift that I can bestow on a mortal. I shall permit your concrete imagination wander on the vastness of my rewards. Fail to meet my demands, and…well…let us not think of what will happen._

_ Do not let the sparrow fly away from me again. We cannot allow her song to carry on any hope of rebelling against the order set to come to power with you as their king. How you capture her and dispose of her comrades is none of my concern. Just complete this task._

_ -Your master_

Slight grimaced, the note had no name on it, but he felt like the sender watched him, waiting for the reaction of a plaything. Whoever this 'master' was obviously had tangoed before with forces Slight has found with the Rebellion and did not accept failure without punishment. Slight searched for anyone in the Rebellion known as Sparrow, name, nickname, any sign that lead to the name Sparrow. It came up empty. Slight spent hours going through the database when it finally hit him who 'Sparrow' was. This little bird was no Irken, but a fake hiding in plain sight. And…the Sparrows nest had not yet been abandoned.


	24. Chapter TwentyThree

-1Chapter Twenty-Three

_Why are we here?_

Sparks flew from some thrown together thingamajig. Kiim smacked the whatchamacallit, the generator finally kicked on. "Told yah I could fix it~!" Kiim almost sang the words just to smite K, much to his displeasure. The two pretty much always tried to outdo each other on a daily basis. It did get things done faster.

"Ah knock it off ya whiney brats!" Doc snapped at the engineers on his way to the officers' tent. If Doc was in a bad mood, it wasn't good news. The old geezer hated bringing bad news. He did often have to report a large number of troops dead, but that never made him foul. This had to be something very disturbing. He entered the tent with a tech by his side cradling a long wrapped object; it smelled awful of rotting flesh and puss. "General Darlin'" Doc addressed General Fine gravely.

Fine glanced up, his face pale and lifeless, "yes Doc? What is it?" his quivering voice a hoarse whisper.

"General, we…found something…you might want to see." The tech unwrapped a leg with torn black dress pants, a scuffed bloody combat boot dangling off the end.

Fine snatched it out of the techs hands possessively, "_Comp, scan!_" he pulled out his visor after ordering his AI to scan the limp limb.

"_Sir I hate to tell you this…but it is Dirts' right leg._" Comp spoke softly to Fine, knowing Fine would not take the news well.

Fine stiffened at the news. He didn't believe the AI at first, thinking he was asleep right now, and this was just a long nightmare. He closed his dulled silver eye, counted to three and opened them slowly. It wasn't a dream. His body went cold and numb, the body's natural defense against trauma. Fine did not notice he had released the leg, dropping it on the dusted stone floor. He swallowed hard, trying his best not to break down in front of his old friend. "I need some time alone…" he whispered.

"Of course General Darlin', take all the time you need, c'mon lass." Doc ushered the tech outside.

Fine did not come out for days, banishing the other officers to other tents. He was a prisoner of his own denial now. He knew war well, being born to wage it, but even the strong break at some point. Most of his kind was killed before this point in time; however, he was not given that liberty.

One could tell he was alive by just listening. He talked to himself as if nothing had happened and his whole commanding crew was right there with him. The commanding General had gone insane at last.

Blade would've loved to take over, but he did not know what to do either at this point anymore. He always wanted to be in charge, but…not under these circumstances. The General reflected back over the last few months…getting caught, again, slammed in prison, again, finding Mer in that prison and busting out with her…how she acted as if escaping was not life or death but as if life itself was just some fun game to her…everything…he noticed that he had been carving a feather into the rock he sat upon. It was the same exact symbol Mer wore on her forehead. The words said to him that first day he laid eyes upon that symbol came flooding back.

"_Take 51680, 51680 can help ya more than any of us!"_

_ "Ya got a problem wit dolls?"_

_ "Don't stop till ya win one for us Homerunner._"

Blade shook his head, "Bunch of liars. She's dead now and only leached off of us till the end. Should've taken…" he stopped when a small bell sound rung through the air. Was the heat finally getting to his head? Blade glanced around to see the entire fleet looking around desperately for the source of the sound, like starving dogs to the scent of food. It rang again, and again all in timed sets. The troopers were mystified by the beautiful singing. "Smeety…" Blade whispered he bore a slight grin as hope began to bubble up.

Fine heard it last in his insanity, the ringing soothing him to the infamous General Fine we have come to know and love. His papers flew off his desk and out into the baking sun, but he cared not of this. As if, some higher force commanded, he was filled with courage, and compelled to keep fighting this war. The feeling spread like the black plague through the camp. This wasn't over, not by a long shot.

Fine gathered the remaining rebels. Everyone seemed in better health now. They had this…aura about them that they were ready now.

"As you all know," Fine started, his voice echoing across the ranks, "that we have suffered a great loss. Within three days, your chosen length to serve in this Rebellion will be over, and you can go home." He pointed to the lined up pods used to escape The Blitzkrieg, "those who wish to go back home to Seventh Haven may if they chose to do so. You will be home in a matter of days. Those who wish to go…go." He waited, but none stepped forward. Weather they were just not brave enough to stand alone…or they knew they were needed for a cause greater than themselves…no one knew. Fine smiled at this, "apparently everyone also knows this fact; it's not over yet, not by a long shot. Are you heroes for staying behind? Nope. Just a ragged motley crew of defects known as rebels who were once destined for the chopping block of the Empire. However, we have new enemies. They also laugh at our status."

"I repeat, are we heroes? Nah, heroes are fictional characters in stories told to young so they can sleep at night feeling safe when the real world is like this." Fine shook his head, smiling still, "But we have a reason to fight, nothing to lose and everything to gain. They think of us as defects! That is what we were! What are we now? A Rebellion! Why are we here?" Fine took out his claw, and stabbed an Empire flag, tearing it to shreds like a tiger to its kill, "To kick some fucking ass and tear those tyrant bastards a new one." He grinned as the Rebellion, not just Irkens now…but Irkens, Vortains, and pretty much anyone who has tasted the whip of the Empires rule, cross breeds and all, broke out into a roaring cheer of courage, heart and bravery.

They knew what was coming…and they were ready for it.


	25. Chapter TwentyFour

-1Chapter Twenty Four

_We are…_

Some say war is glory, some say it's destructive and horrid, and the bringer of our deaths. Many of the troopers of even more backgrounds than bodies here today…each had a reason to fight in this battle. Some were angry for being tested on. Some wanting redemption from the gods for a felony crime. Some were here for a fallen friend or family member, kissing a lucky charm to be watched over and protected. Some had betted on being dead by this day, feeling lucky to be alive and fearing the future. Whatever the reason, they wanted to be here, they wanted redemption, and they wanted freedom.

Soldiers readied themselves for one hell of a fight, even using scrap metal for extra weapons. In most stories, this is where boys become men and then become the hero of the story. When they give out an epic battle-cry and just be awesome.

As the battlefield comes into view, it was just an empty field of grass brushing against the dirty and worn boots of the rebel soldiers, blowing in the gentle wind. But bending and breaking under the waiting Empire and Order troops. That is how they believed all should be who defied them. The smell of spring morning mists, lifting the fog of uncertainty from the plains.

The field was silent, no creatures called out in the morning sunlight, no one moved. The calm before the storm. The sky, clear and painted with the colors of the morning, not a cloud in the sky with the sun shining brightly red in the horizon.

One would look upon the Rebellion and ask, 'are we heroes?' the only reply to answer, 'Nah, just a motley crew of united mismatched heretics with a cause to fight for and a favor to return.' Little tid-bit for yah, as Doc would say …don't fuck with us.

The battle began with the sound of a bugle. The world shook as the armies collided in a mass of rage, sword on sword. The sound of blasters tore through the thick air, the sound deafening. Heads rolled as the battle heated up. Screams of the dying rang out as they got up for more fight. No one was going out easily, they had to be dead before you left them or they would come right back at you for more.

The clashing steel, the deafening roar of rockets in mid-air, blanketing the sky in fiery red, black and orange smoke as they streamed forward for their targets, they hit exploding right on a platoon of troops, tearing them apart as the black veil of death covered them. Both flags still stood tall and brave, urging their followers forward into the inferno of battle. The screams echoed the rockets in Deaths infamous chorus of the dying and mortally wounded. Singing for their first and last time: The agony of war.

How does one comprehend this level of hatred, pain, suffering, trauma, trust, friendship, courage and love? One epic novel cannot hold it all for one to bear witness to. This battle grew grim as the pen wrote on. The skies, once painted beautifully turned black to smoldering fires of damned hell. Troops run left and right, North and South for cover then to fire upon surprised victims. The story told has more than one view; each now has a new tale to tell.

"Look!" a voice called out in agony, "Mercy has been bestowed upon us! Look fast my friends; Deaths own angels have dawned upon us with their gifts of the sweet afterlife!" Only a few heard him, and gazed upon the hill to see three beings, silhouetted by the rising sun. One stepped forward, a gleam on its single eye. Covering one's eyes, could it be? No…they had perished…Dirt? Yes, three of the girls had in fact survived the crash and trekked thousands of miles to this battle with broken and one even missing a limb. Dirt, Vexa-lai and Mono, yes, now one could easily make out the shapes of the three girls lost in the ships burning hell.

The three stood strong like stone angels, no one fired at them amazingly yet there they were in plain sight and easy targets. Dirt hobbled forward again, a grin marked some sort of positive feeling on her monotonous pale green skin. A roar shook the very earth as it echoed across the battlefield, causing the three armies to quake under its powerful spell. Dirt's only words spoken in years sang loud and true on the wings of a white bird, "Holybird rises again!"

Mono and Vexa echoed Dirt, as if rehearsed but not, "Sing, sing your song, oh sweet sparrow!"

Time seemed to slow to a standstill, the falling ashes like black snow drifting gently in the storm of war. The grass of the hill bent over willingly as a gale storm of wind brushed over it, gently but with brute force. Over the peak of the shadowed hill, first wing-tips, then the head and neck, reptilian in form…was this true? Could it be? A symbol from the gods? A legend, a myth lost in time come here today? Hope had been lost in the millennia this creature had been gone, but now restored as Holybird; the great symbol of peace across time itself broke away from the crest of the hell that held it hostage.

This was too un-real, it couldn't be happening! The armies quaked not knowing who she fought for. Her motives clear as the beast landed next to the Rebel flag, and roared her mighty roar, pushing the Rebellion into a moment of Arastai, a pure moment of spirit worthy for the pen to write into history as this chapter burned on. The Rebels pushed back their foes, gaining ground once lost before. Their hearts now an inferno, forging courage that had become cold as ice.

Many old civilizations used dragons as symbols of power or rage. Here and now, a symbol of hope, a hope for peace and freedom of the power, and rage of the Empire. The liberty and right of all whom deemed themselves sentient, and proved it here today.

The battle raged on, a new blade forged in its fires by hands once bound together in shackles by the oppression of tyrants, corrupted by power itself. Its strength reignited once again by tinder lost in time. What was once its mission that had been its downfall had now become its savior.

But now, flying once again, high over the field of battle, crying out in glory. It took stance high above and bore out of its own chest, Holybird bloomed the wellspring of life, Mana's light, a Mana core. Twelve ghosts like spheres surrounded the beast in a dance, summoning the guardian's greatest strength.

"_Oh great Mother, where'er you lie,_

_Heed my pleas, hear my cry._

_Grant me thy divine strength,_

_Thy powerful light that guide us in sickness and in death_

_To purge this tainted land of warring factions_

_Whom harm and burn your greatest gifts"_

A sniper, known to both Rebel and Order armies as Skoo, spotted an opening in the dragon's stance. Its core was in plain sight, this mistake would be its demise. He took careful aim, this shot was his only at not only greatness but to keep the Empire alive. He waited…

"_Please, hear me now Great Mother,_

_And cast thy…"_

He fired, his shot true to his name of Sharpshooter, hitting its mark. The dragon fell, but as it did, it had one thing left to say…

"…_Judge…ment…"_

It fell with its last breath sealing the spell. The twelve ghosts, and the core itself, erupted with power so great the light was blinding. The energy streamed across the battlefield. The light became too much for one to bare, everything…went dark.


	26. Chapter TwentyFive Epilouge

Chapter Twenty Five

_Epilogue_

What has become of the great Irken Rebellion? Now it's just another chapter in history coming to a close. It's final battle against the tyrannical Irken Empire, great and bloody. Many brothers fell that day to the hand of fate. The victor? Clear as day since the beginning of this long, brutal struggle for power.

The battlefield, once clean and innocent, now ruins, forever stained with blood. The landscape decimated by a war for freedom from said tyrannical rule. The Rebellion fought valiantly, the Empire took no prisoners. The day will live in infamy, it will live…forever.

Now, all that stands is a torn battle flag, the sun rising behind it, disguising the symbol in shadows. Below lay a final warning. A blood stained white feather, its pureness tainted.

"They say, the fates have a way of changing in the strangest of times…and they have." said a smaller Irken, standing alone on the field in front of the flag. "Smeety, I'm glad I picked you to get out of that prison back on Irk…Heh, you gave us one hell of a ride I'll tell ya that." Blade smiled, not maliciously but…actual happiness. "The Irken Rebellion won because of you…I guess we can't call it The IRKEN Rebellion anymore…more like…just a Rebellion now. Its over now…guess this is how we end the story." He turned and walked a few yards before a soft ringing sang out from the very air itself. "Heh, you're right Mer…It's far from over."

"C'mon asshole lets get moving! There are more Empire and Order bases to take out!" General Fine beckoned Blade, Dirt by his side as always. This time, however, her missing leg replaced by a robotic limb…no one noticed under the black dress pants.

"Blow them up is more like it!" Des-pear shouted holding his rocket launcher, Heav-E beside him as always.

Behind them stood a massive ship. Bigger than the Blitzkrieg, more massive than the…well…The Massive. This was a whole new war, bigger than ever before, and required a whole new ship, bigger than ever before. Before it took off, two ships launched from the side docks. _The Severed Claw Two_, and _The Blitzkrieg Two_. This new ship? Painted on the side in bold lettering, _The Guardian_. The mark of Holybird under the letters as a warning.

Blade turned to the Blood Feather one more time. He watched it flutter off into the sky. "Thanks Mer…We'll never forget your lesson…little sparrow."


End file.
